Congo-Kinshasa: Ebola - DRC Gets 70,000 Ervebo Vaccine Doses As Bundibugyo Outbreak Worsens

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has received 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine to aid in combating the ongoing Bundibugyo virus outbreak. Out of the allocated doses, 20,000 will be used in a clinical trial to determine if Ervebo can also protect against Bundibugyo virus, while the remaining 50,000 will be administered to healthcare workers and frontline personnel.

The allocation comes after the DRC government requested vaccines from the global Ebola vaccine stockpile managed by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision. The Phase III trial aims to generate evidence on whether Ervebo can offer protection against Bundibugyo virus, which is different from the Zaire species that Ervebo is licensed for.

The current outbreak, which has resulted in 4,665 confirmed cases and 2,184 deaths as of 12 August, is the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the DRC. Factors contributing to the outbreak's spread include population movement, insecurity, artisanal mining activities, and cross-border travel. WHO and Africa CDC have emphasized the importance of a community-led approach in the response, as it would help protect affected populations and ensure the vaccine's benefits and limitations are clearly understood by those receiving it.