The Democratic Republic of Congo has been allocated 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from the global Ebola vaccine stockpile as authorities respond to a rapidly spreading outbreak of Bundibugyo virus disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
The allocation follows a request by the Congolese government last week to the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision.
According to the WHO, 20,000 doses will be used in a Phase 3 clinical trial designed to assess how effectively Ervebo may protect people against the Bundibugyo virus. The remaining 50,000 doses will be offered to health and frontline workers, in line with recommendations from the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization.
There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for Bundibugyo virus disease.
Ervebo is licensed for use against Ebola virus disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus. While its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo virus in humans remains uncertain, the WHO said preliminary laboratory and animal studies indicate that it could provide some protection.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the vaccine allocation as an important demonstration of international cooperation in responding to the outbreak.
He said the WHO would continue working with Congolese authorities and other partners to strengthen disease surveillance, early detection, community engagement and vaccination efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
The outbreak has already taken a severe toll, with the number of deaths reported in Congo surpassing that of the country’s 2018-2020 Ebola outbreak, making the current outbreak the deadliest in its history.