The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, a move that international health organizations and partners described Thursday as a significant boost in the fight against an Ebola outbreak deemed the fastest in history.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and its collaborators announced the allocation following a request from the Congolese government. The doses will be released immediately.
This outbreak, concentrated in six eastern provinces, has infected and claimed lives at an unprecedented speed, spreading approximately three times faster than the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, which remains the deadliest on record with over 11,000 deaths. As of Thursday, the current outbreak has resulted in 2,476 deaths out of 5,208 confirmed cases.
While Ervebo is licensed for one strain of the Ebola virus, it is not approved for the Bundibugyo virus currently circulating in Congo. However, early laboratory and animal data suggest the vaccine may offer some protection against this specific strain. "An important example of global solidarity in action," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated.
The allocation includes 20,000 doses designated for a Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the vaccine's impact on the Bundibugyo virus. The remaining 50,000 doses are earmarked for front-line health workers, as recommended by WHO experts.
The case fatality rate for this outbreak stands at 47.5%, with some areas like North Kivu province experiencing a fatality rate as high as 70%. The lack of a specifically approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo virus has been a significant challenge for response efforts.
Experts believe the virus originated in the mining town of Mongbwalu and began spreading as early as February, several months before authorities officially declared the outbreak on May 15. The continuous spread of new cases among individuals not being monitored highlights the challenge of tracking the virus effectively, contributing to the high death toll.
WHO and its partners remain committed to supporting strengthened surveillance, rapid detection, quality care, community engagement, and vaccination initiatives to bring the outbreak under control.