Congo to receive 70K doses of Ervebo Ebola vaccine used in past outbreaks

The World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners have announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine. This vaccine has proven effective in past Ebola outbreaks and is currently the only licensed vaccine against Ebola virus, despite not being approved for the specific Bundibugyo virus responsible for the current outbreak.

The allocation includes 20,000 doses specifically for a Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the vaccine's impact on the Bundibugyo virus. The remaining 50,000 doses will be distributed among front-line and health workers as recommended by WHO experts.

The outbreak, which has infected and killed more rapidly than any other Ebola outbreak in history, is spreading three times faster than the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa, the deadliest on record with over 11,000 deaths. The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, comprising WHO and other partners, has approved the immediate release of these doses following a request from Congo's government.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised this approval as an example of "global solidarity in action." He emphasized that WHO and its partners remain committed to strengthening surveillance, rapid detection, quality care, community engagement, and vaccination efforts to control the outbreak. The lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo virus has been a significant challenge for responders, as most new cases are reported outside of monitored individuals, indicating the virus's rapid spread.

This has contributed to the high case fatality rate of 47.5 percent, with some areas, like North Kivu province, experiencing rates as high as 70 percent. Experts believe the virus may have begun spreading from the mining town of Mongbwalu as early as February, months before the outbreak was officially declared on May 15.