Congo to receive Ebola vaccine effective in past outbreaks

Key Points:

• Congo will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, previously effective against Ebola virus, to help contain the fastest Ebola outbreak in history, although the vaccine is not licensed for the Bundibugyo virus causing the current outbreak.
• Early data suggest Ervebo may offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus, prompting 20,000 doses to be allocated for a Phase 3 clinical trial and 50,000 doses for frontline and healthcare workers.
• The outbreak in six eastern Congo provinces has resulted in 2,476 deaths out of 5,208 confirmed cases, spreading about three times faster than the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak.
• WHO and partners emphasize global solidarity and are committed to enhancing surveillance, rapid detection, quality care, community engagement, and vaccination to control the outbreak.
• The Bundibugyo virus’s rapid spread, high fatality rate (up to 70% in some areas), and lack of approved vaccines or treatments have complicated response efforts, with the virus believed to have started spreading as early as February from Mongbwalu.