Ebola vaccine doses arrive in DRC

The Democratic Republic of the Congo received its first shipment of more than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine on August 22, 2026, as the country battles its deadliest Ebola outbreak on record. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists. The World Health Organization has pledged 70,000 doses of Ervebo, developed by Merck Group, with 20,000 earmarked for a clinical trial to test cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain and 50,000 for frontline and health workers. The outbreak has killed over 2,500 people among more than 5,300 confirmed cases, and the United Nations warns it is growing exponentially. Efforts are hampered by armed conflict, weak infrastructure, and limited access in affected regions. Other vaccine candidates targeting the Bundibugyo strain are in development by Moderna, University of Oxford, and Hilleman Laboratories.