DRC: 70,000 Doses of Ervebo Vaccine Expected to Strengthen the Response to Bundibugyo Virus Disease
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is set to receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine to strengthen the response to the outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease.
The announcement was made on Thursday, August 20, 2026, by the World Health Organization (WHO), which welcomed the allocation made with the support of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
This allocation follows a request submitted the previous week by the Congolese government to the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG), which manages the global emergency stockpile of Ebola vaccines.
Of the 70,000 doses allocated to the DRC, 50,000 will be reserved for healthcare workers and other frontline personnel.
This approach is consistent with the current recommendations of the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), given the particularly high level of exposure faced by these professionals in responding to the outbreak.
A Clinical Trial to Evaluate Ervebo
The remaining 20,000 doses will be used as part of a Phase 3 clinical trial.
The objective is to determine whether the Ervebo vaccine, already used against the Zaire Ebola virus, can also provide protection against the Bundibugyo virus.
To date, its effectiveness against this virus has not yet been established in humans.
However, preliminary results from laboratory and animal studies suggest a potential protective effect.
The trial conducted in the DRC should therefore make it possible to collect additional scientific data that could guide future decisions regarding the use of the vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus.
Communities at the Heart of the Response
The WHO and Africa CDC also welcomed the community-based approach adopted by the Congolese authorities.
This approach aims to place affected populations at the center of the response, particularly through their involvement in prevention, surveillance, and care activities.
Since the establishment of the global stockpile mechanism in 2021, more than 56,000 doses of Ervebo had already been allocated to the DRC to respond to various outbreaks of Ebola virus disease, according to the ICG.
With this new allocation, the WHO and Africa CDC reaffirm their support for the Congolese authorities in protecting affected communities, reducing deaths, and helping to bring the Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak to an end.
MB – AFP
About The Author
