The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended prioritising the Ervebo vaccine for testing in a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The vaccine was originally developed to protect against Zaire ebolavirus, the species responsible for the devastating west African epidemic just over a decade ago. It was not designed for the Bundibugyo species responsible for the current outbreak – which raises the question of why scientists are considering it at all.
The current Ebola outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern in May 2026. By August 9, there had been 4,402 confirmed cases and 2,013 deaths. All but 21 of these cases were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with 20 cases in Uganda and one in France.
