More than 16,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine arrive in Ebola-hit DR Congo

By AFP and AP. Published On 22 Aug 202622 Aug 2026.

Key points

• The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has received more than 16, 000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine as the country faces its deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak.
• Although the vaccine is approved against the Zaire strain of the virus, the Bundibugyo strain at present circulating in the country has no approved vaccine or treatment.
• Although the outbreak was declared in mid-May, it is believed to have began weeks beforehand.
• Early data from animal trials show it may offer some protection, according to the WHO.
• Efforts to contain the virus have been stymied by ongoing armed conflict, delays in identifying cases and a lack of infrastructure in eastern DRC, experts say.

In practice, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has received more than 16, 000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine as the country faces its deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak.

In practice, the 16, 250 doses arrived in the capital, Kinshasa, late on Friday evening, comprising the first of 70, 000 that the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners pledged to provide on Thursday. More doses are set to arrive next week.

Samuel Roger Kamba, the DRC's health minister, remarked to journalists Ervebo had been employed a number of times previously, including "on a very large scale" during the 2018 to 2020 outbreak.

Of the 70, 000 doses intended for the DRC, 20, 000 will be part of a late-stage clinical trial to test its effect on the Bundibugyo strain, the WHO remarked. The remainder is allocated to front-line and health workers.

Meanwhile, the outbreak has killed more than 2, 500 individuals out of almost 5, 300 confirmed cases, with the United Nations warning this week that infections continue to spread "exponentially".

Although the outbreak was declared in mid-May, it is believed to have began weeks beforehand. Data from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, demonstrates that transmission has not yet peaked and could reach three times its known rate.

In short, more than 16, 000 doses of Ervebo vaccine arrive in Ebola is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.