The Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday launched Ebola vaccination with the Ervebo vaccine under a compassionate-use framework, as the Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak has killed more than 2,700 people and infected over 5,700 in what health officials now call the second-largest Ebola crisis on record. Health Minister Roger Kamba officially began the campaign in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo Province, with frontline health workers among the first recipients to receive the shots.
Kamba confirmed that more than 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have arrived in the country, with the initial rollout targeting healthcare providers and people who have been in direct contact with confirmed patients. “We have decided to use the Ervebo vaccine to protect first those who are on the front line, therefore our health care providers, but also people who have been in contact with patients,” Kamba said, according to the DRC official news agency ACP.
Outbreak Deepens Across Six Provinces
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that preventive vaccination has begun in Kisangani and will expand to 14 selected health zones across Tshopo, Bas-Uele, and Haut-Uele provinces. These three provinces were more recently affected by the outbreak, which was first detected in early 2026 and has since spread rapidly across the country northeastern region.
As of August 25, the DRC reported 5,713 confirmed cases, including 2,744 related deaths, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. A total of 770 patients remain hospitalized in isolation. The latest daily report showed 57 new confirmed cases and 29 deaths in a single 24-hour period, with Ituri province accounting for 34 of those new infections.
Ituri remains the most heavily affected area, with 4,750 cases and 2,133 deaths reported from 28 of its 36 health zones. North Kivu has recorded 753 cases and 512 deaths across 13 health zones. Haut-Uele has seen 189 cases and 89 deaths, while Tshopo, where the vaccination campaign has now started, has logged 15 cases and eight deaths. In total, 58 of 151 health zones across six provinces are currently affected.
A Vaccine With Uncertain Efficacy
The Ervebo vaccine was originally developed to target the Zaire ebolavirus, which caused the devastating 2014-2016 West African epidemic. However, the current DRC outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a different type of Ebola virus. WHO and Africa CDC have stressed that it remains unknown whether Ervebo will prove effective against Bundibugyo in humans, though early laboratory and animal data suggest it may provide some protection.
The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision, which manages the global Ebola vaccine stockpile, allocated 70,000 doses to the DRC. Of these, 20,000 doses are designated for a Phase 3 clinical trial to study the vaccine impact on the Bundibugyo virus, while the remaining 50,000 doses are for frontline and health workers. The ICG partners include WHO, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, MSF, and UNICEF, with funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
| Province | Cases | Deaths | Zones |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ituri | 4,750 | 2,133 | 28/36 |
| North Kivu | 753 | 512 | 13/34 |
| Haut-Uele | 189 | 89 | 6/13 |
| Tshopo | 15 | 8 | 7/23 |
| South Kivu | 3 | 1 | 1/34 |
| Bas-Uele | 3 | 1 | 3/11 |
| Total | 5,713 | 2,744 | 58/151 |
International Concern and Imported Cases
The outbreak has already triggered international alarm. In May 2026, a US citizen working for a humanitarian organization in the DRC tested positive for Bundibugyo virus and was medically evacuated to Germany for treatment. On June 24, France reported an imported case involving a humanitarian doctor returning from the DRC. The US CDC has since imposed restrictions on travelers who have been in the DRC within 21 days, barring them from boarding commercial flights to US destinations.
Uganda, which reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths linked to the DRC outbreak, was declared Ebola-free by WHO on August 25 after 42 days without a new confirmed case. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Uganda response but warned that the situation in the DRC remains critical, with the outbreak now killing roughly one person every 30 minutes at its peak.
The allocation of vaccines is an important step in the Ebola response, reinforcing existing measures aimed at protecting communities, breaking chains of transmission and containing the spread of the disease.
The vaccination campaign faces significant logistical challenges. The affected provinces are among the most remote in the DRC, with limited road infrastructure and healthcare facilities. Cold-chain requirements for the Ervebo vaccine add another layer of complexity in a country where electricity access remains extremely limited in rural areas. Still, health officials expressed cautious optimism that the rollout could help slow the outbreak trajectory in the coming weeks.
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