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The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, even though the World Health Organization states it is not approved for the current Bundibugyo strain causing a surge in infections.
The number of Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 4,000, marking the country's largest outbreak on record. The World Health Organization and other health bodies are urging stronger community response and vaccine trials as conflict hampers efforts to contain the rapidly spreading virus.
WHO vaccine experts have recommended a full-scale human trial of the only existing approved Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, to assess its cross-protection against a deadly strain spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Ervebo vaccine has proven safe and effective against the common Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, with early data suggesting it may also protect against the rarer Bundibugyo strain, potentially leading to public availability in DR Congo.