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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Congo launches Ebola vaccinations with a catch — the available vaccine targets a different species. The DRC has begun inoculating frontline health workers with Ervebo, a vaccine licensed for the Zaire Ebola strain, even though the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species. With nearly 5,800 infections and 2,786 deaths, this is now the world's second deadliest Ebola epidemic on record.
Congo is pulling out every tool available to fight its worst Ebola outbreak ever. The DRC began vaccinating frontline health workers on August 28 with Ervebo, a vaccine licensed against the Zaire species of Ebola, despite the current epidemic being caused by the Bundibugyo species, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists. Early animal studies suggest Ervebo may offer some cross-protection, and 20,000 of the 70,000 doses allocated to Congo are being used in a clinical trial to test that theory in humans.
The outbreak, declared on May 15, has been relentless. It spread from its epicenter in Ituri province to six provinces total, briefly crossed into Uganda (where it was contained), and has now surpassed the 2018–2020 DRC outbreak to become the deadliest in the country's history. The case fatality ratio has climbed from ~20% in early June to 46% — not because the virus is more lethal, but because many cases are being detected too late.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: With no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, health authorities are in uncharted territory. The use of a cross-species vaccine in a clinical trial setting is a critical and urgent step, while several Bundibugyo-specific vaccine candidates from Oxford and IAVI remain in development.
