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The UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that 20,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been allocated for the research vaccination programme in Ituri province.<\/p>\n
The aim of the trial is to improve understanding of how effective the vaccine is against Ebola Bundibugyo virus \u2013 and to protect individuals most exposed to it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Ervebo vaccine has been \u201chighly effective\u201d against Ebola Zaire virus in the past, but it is not yet known whether it can provide \u201cmeaningful protection\u201d against Ebola Bundibugyo disease<\/strong>, which is still spreading in the DRC.<\/p>\n A total of 70,000 doses have been made available<\/strong> to the Congolese authorities to support the outbreak response and related research.<\/p>\n The epicentre of the outbreak remains Ituri province in eastern DR Congo, although the virus has spread to seven provinces since it was confirmed in May this year.<\/p>\n Those leading the\u00a0outbreak response face many challenges related to an ongoing humanitarian emergency caused by decades of violence in the DRC\u2019s vast, resource-rich eastern provinces.\u00a0<\/p>\n In January 2025, Rwanda-backed M23 militia seized control of Goma, capital of North Kivu province, before going on to take Bukavu, capital of South Kivu, weeks later.<\/p>\n In support of the DRC authorities, WHO continues to strengthen surveillance of Ebola infection and transmission, conduct contact tracing, boost clinical preparedness and management, and ensure the delivery of supplies<\/strong>. The UN agency also supports community engagement and cross-border preparedness.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCommunity engagement will be key<\/strong>. It is only when communities are engaged in the response that such outbreaks are brought under control,\u201d the WHO stressed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Latest health authority data indicates a total of more than 7,600 confirmed cases of infection including over 3,670 deaths, with nearly eight in 10 infections recorded in Ituri.<\/p>\n Ervebo is the only Ebola vaccine licensed for use during outbreaks caused by Bundibugyo virus. The\u00a0WHO-backed panel which advises on vaccines recommended earlier this month that Ervebo should only be used for research purposes initially.\u00a0<\/p>\n It also emphasized that the vaccine\u2019s \u201cunknown efficacy\u201d against Bundibugyo virus should be clearly communicated, although limited data and anecdotal reports suggest that Ervebo may provide \u201csome protection\u201d against the disease.<\/p>\n Ebola disease is a severe, often fatal illness affecting humans and other primates.<\/p>\n The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals (such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates); it then spreads in the human population through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people. It can also be transmitted by contact with bedding or clothing contaminated with these fluids.<\/p>\nFirst responders<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Ebola facts<\/strong><\/h2>\n