Health & Public Health
DR Congo Ebola vaccine trials to start by November: WHO
Trials for three potential vaccines against the Ebola strain driving the Democratic Republic of Congo's deadliest recorded outbreak should begin in October or November, the World Health Organization said on September 2.
The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for that strain.
Official data released Wednesday put the death toll at 3,007, with 6,186 infections and 1,409 recoveries. The outbreak was declared on May 15, but the WHO believes the virus may have been spreading unnoticed since late January.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said two new Bundibugyo vaccines were in safety trials in the UK and Canada. One is being developed by Moderna using mRNA technology, and another by the University of Oxford.
The WHO has also recommended a full-scale human trial of Ervebo, a Merck vaccine approved for the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, to see whether it offers cross-protection against Bundibugyo.
Tedros said early data suggested Ervebo could offer some protection in humans, but he said trials were needed because "we not know whether it is effective against Bundibugyo". Much of the early data came from animal testing.
WHO vaccines chief Kate O'Brien said the plan was to set up a single trial to test multiple vaccines. She said Ervebo would probably be the first vaccine to enter the trial because it is already licensed.
A batch of 16,250 Ervebo doses for frontline medical personnel arrived in DR Congo in July, and vaccination began shortly afterwards in Kisangani, the capital of northeastern Tshopo province. The WHO has advised that, for now, Ervebo should only be used against Bundibugyo as part of a clinical trial.
The health response has faced insecurity in eastern DR Congo, where armed groups are active, as well as the challenge of trying to catch up with a virus the WHO believes was spreading before the outbreak was declared.
Update
WHO said efficacy trials for three potential Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines in DR Congo should start in October or November.
WHO said two new Bundibugyo vaccines are in safety trials in the UK and Canada, including one by Moderna using mRNA technology and one by the University of Oxford.
WHO said it is also recommending a full-scale human trial of Ervebo to test whether it offers cross-protection against Bundibugyo.
WHO vaccines chief Kate O'Brien said the plan is to set up a single trial testing multiple vaccines and that Ervebo will probably be first.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 17:39:25 UTC.
Update
The Congolese National Institute of Public Health put the toll at 3,007 deaths and 6,186 infections.
The institute said 1,409 people had recovered and the fatality rate was 48.6 percent.
The current outbreak originated in Ituri province, according to the item.
The World Health Organization recommended a phase three clinical trial using the Ervebo vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain.
A batch of 16,250 vaccine doses for frontline medical personnel arrived in DR Congo at the end of last month, and vaccination began shortly afterwards in Kisangani.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 10:06:28 UTC.
Update
Official data showed the Ebola death toll in DR Congo has passed 3,000.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 09:24:44 UTC.
Update
DR Congo has recorded 6,041 confirmed Ebola cases since the epidemic began.
Congolese health authorities said 2,911 people have died and 1,366 have recovered.
The outbreak has passed 6,000 confirmed cases.
Source note: AFP news report published on 31 August 2026 at 14:18:03 UTC.
Update
The $2.1 billion plan is 48 percent funded.
Guterres said current resources will last weeks, not months.
More than 5,600 confirmed Ebola cases and more than 2,700 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak was declared on May 15.
The outbreak is driven by the rare Bundibugyo species of Ebola, for which there are no vaccines or treatments.
The outbreak is described as the biggest in DR Congo's history.
Source note: AFP news report published on 27 August 2026 at 14:21:18 UTC.
Update
The Ebola aid plan for DR Congo costs $2.1 billion in total.
Antonio Guterres said the plan had received a major contribution from the United States.
Guterres warned that vital operations would run out of money without additional funding, just as they need to expand.
Source note: AFP news report published on 27 August 2026 at 14:09:01 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
WHO said it does not yet know whether Ervebo is effective against Bundibugyo in humans.
WHO believes the virus may have begun spreading under the radar as early as late January.
Source
AFP news report published on .