DRC to receive 70 000 Ervebo vaccines to contain Ebola outbreak: WHO
Ervebo is approved to prevent disease caused by the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has received 70,000 doses of Merck's Ervebo vaccine to combat its largest Ebola outbreak in history. The World Health Organisation announced the allocation on Thursday, as the country grapples with a surge in confirmed cases. Congo's 17th Ebola epidemic surpassed previous records in late July, with over 5,000 confirmed cases and 2,378 deaths.
The Ebola virus disease vaccine stockpile, managed by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, released the Ervebo doses for Congo's use. Twenty thousand of the allocated doses will be part of a late-stage trial to assess the vaccine's efficacy against the Bundibugyo virus, which is causing the current outbreak and lacks approved treatments.
While Ervebo is approved for the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain, its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo virus remains unclear. WHO's director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus emphasized the ongoing global emergency status of the outbreak in eastern Congo.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
- Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo becomes deadliest in country’s history egyptindependent.com
- Ebola cases in DR Congo top 5,000 – Africa CDC punchng.com
- EBOLA BUNDIBUGYO VIRUS DISEASE OUTBREAK Democratic Republic of the Congo | Uganda Weekly External Situation Report 14, Data as of 16 August 2026 afro.who.int
- Ebola outbreak becomes deadliest in Congo history thehill.com
- Attempts to curb Ebola cases in DR Congo fail with more than 5,000 confirmed france24.com
- Ebola is spreading faster beyond Congo epicenter, straining outbreak response moneyweb.co.za
