More than 16,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine arrive in Ebola-hit DRC

More than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine were delivered to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Friday, as the country grapples with its deadliest Ebola outbreak in history. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC, declared on May 15, but it is believed to have been spreading for several weeks prior. The outbreak has primarily affected regions in the north and east, where state presence is weak, health infrastructure is lacking, and armed groups have been active for decades.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced on Thursday that the DRC would receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, produced in Germany. The vaccine, developed by Merck, is approved against the Zaire strain of the virus, but its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain, which is currently circulating in the country, is uncertain. While early data, including animal trials, suggest Ervebo may offer some protection against the Bundibugyo strain, WHO experts still need to determine this conclusively.

As of August 21, the DRC has confirmed 5,290 cases of Ebola, resulting in 2,516 deaths. The Ebola virus, transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and causing fever, has killed over 15,000 people across Africa over the past 50 years. Several vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain are currently in various stages of clinical trials, including one by Moderna using mRNA technology, one by the University of Oxford, and another by Singapore-based Hilleman Laboratories, described by the WHO as the most promising.