A new vaccine designed to tackle an Ebola outbreak is set to enter human trials in the UK after receiving approval from the country’s medicines regulator.

Scientists at the University of Oxford developed the vaccine in just eight weeks after a public health emergency was declared on 17 May.

It is the first of four Ebola vaccines currently under development to reach the clinical trial stage.

Researchers are now recruiting volunteers, with the first doses expected to be given to healthy adults in the UK within weeks.

The Ebola outbreak, centred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has caused 625 deaths and 1,792 laboratory-confirmed cases.

The outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has been responsible for two previous outbreaks.

There are six recognised species of Ebola. Although they are related, scientists describe them as “sisters rather than twins” because each species can require different treatments and vaccines.

As a result, there are currently no approved vaccines or drugs specifically targeting the strain responsible for the latest outbreak.

The rapid development of the new vaccine highlights how quickly scientists can respond when a new public health emergency emerges.