The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the provision of 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine to support the response to the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The vaccine is approved for the Zaire strain of the virus, but its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain, responsible for the current outbreak in the DRC, remains to be established.
Of this stock, 20,000 doses will be used in a phase 3 clinical trial designed to evaluate the vaccine’s efficacy against the Bundibugyo strain. The remaining 50,000 doses are intended for frontline workers and healthcare professionals, the WHO specified.
The DRC requested doses last week from the global stockpile managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG), with financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The Congolese government was informed of this initial allocation on Monday.
Ervebo, produced by the American laboratory Merck, is approved for the Zaire strain. Experts do not yet know if it protects humans against the Bundibugyo strain, although laboratory and animal data suggest it may offer some protection. The WHO recommends that vaccinated individuals be informed of the potential benefits, risks, and limitations of the vaccine and provide informed consent, particularly within the context of the clinical trial.
Two other vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain are currently in clinical trials, developed by Moderna and the University of Oxford, respectively. Another candidate, rVSV Bundibugyo, is described by the WHO as the most promising.
Officially declared on May 15, the 17th Ebola epidemic in the DRC has already caused 2,420 deaths out of 5,105 confirmed cases, according to the latest data cited by the WHO. It is considered the deadliest outbreak ever recorded in the country. The epidemic is particularly affecting regions in the north and east of the DRC, where difficulties in accessing healthcare complicate the response. On Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the outbreak is still “far from being under control.”
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-20 17:38:40 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://2424.mg/sante-70-000-doses-de-vaccin-ervebo-mises-a-disposition-de-la-rdc-pour-faire-face-a-lepidemie-debola-selon-loms/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sante-70-000-doses-de-vaccin-ervebo-mises-a-disposition-de-la-rdc-pour-faire-face-a-lepidemie-debola-selon-loms