Congo Battles Fast-Growing Ebola Outbreak With Vaccine Campaign

The Democratic Republic of Congo has started an Ebola outbreak vaccination campaign as cases and deaths continue to rise.

The Ebola outbreak is driven by the rare Bundibugyo virus and has spread across six provinces.

Government figures show 5,713 confirmed cases and 2,744 deaths as of Tuesday. The outbreak has become the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak recorded so far.

Health workers in Kisangani, Tshopo province, received the first vaccine doses. The campaign will focus on frontline workers before expanding across affected areas.

Why Is Congo's Ebola Outbreak Growing So Fast?

The outbreak began in May 2026 in Ituri province. It has since reached 54 health zones across six provinces, according to the World Health Organization.

The Bundibugyo virus presents a major challenge because no licensed vaccine or treatment specifically targets this strain. Health authorities are therefore testing whether the existing Ervebo vaccine can offer protection.

The WHO said the outbreak is expanding faster than any previous Ebola outbreak. It also warned that the crisis could surpass the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak. That outbreak killed more than 11,000 people.

Several factors are making the response harder:

• Armed insecurity is disrupting health services.
• Population displacement is increasing transmission risks.
• Health worker strikes are affecting the response.
• High population movement is making contact tracing harder.
• Many transmission chains remain unidentified.

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Congo Gets 70,000 Ebola Vaccine Doses

The WHO and partners have approved 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine for Congo. More than 50,000 doses have already reached the country.

The allocation has two main purposes:

• 50,000 doses will support vaccination of frontline and health workers.
• 20,000 doses will be used in a Phase 3 clinical trial.

The trial will study whether Ervebo can protect against the Bundibugyo virus. Laboratory and animal studies suggest the vaccine may provide some protection. However, its effectiveness in humans remains unknown.  The vaccine is licensed for Ebola caused by the Zaire strain. It has not been specifically approved for Bundibugyo virus disease.

Health Teams Race to Contain Ebola Spread

The vaccination drive is part of a wider effort to control transmission. Congo plans to reach health zones across Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces.  The WHO is also supporting clinical research into treatments for the disease. A treatment trial began enrollment in July and has already enrolled more than 100 confirmed cases.

The rapid spread has also raised concerns about neighboring countries. Imported cases have been reported in Uganda, France and Germany. However, sustained transmission outside Congo has not been reported.  For now, health officials are focusing on protecting healthcare workers and limiting community transmission. The vaccine campaign could provide critical evidence for future responses to the Bundibugyo strain.