Ervebo Vaccine Clinical Trial Launches in Bunia to Test Efficacy Against Bundibugyo Strain

Healthcare workers in Bunia, Ituri province, received the first doses Saturday, Sept 19, 2026 as part of a clinical trial of the Ervebo vaccine targeting 20,000 people over 9-12 months. Ervebo is already proven effective against the Zaire ebolavirus strain; the trial aims to establish whether it also protects against the Bundibugyo strain driving the current outbreak, for which no specific vaccine or treatment yet exists. The initiative had already vaccinated more than 3,000 people in Tshopo province and over 700 in Bas-Uélé. DRC's national Ebola response is directed by Prof. Steve Ahuka, with Médecins Sans Frontières participating through researcher Dr. Nana Mimbu. The outbreak is DRC's 17th Ebola epidemic and its deadliest on record.