The World Health Organization is expanding an Ebola vaccine trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as the outbreak surpasses 10,000 reported cases and 5,000 deaths, with new infections emerging in Kenya and Nigeria.
WHO expert groups have recommended adding two vaccines developed specifically for Bundibugyo virus: Oxford and Serum Institute of India’s ChAdOx1 BDBV, and Moderna’s mRNA-1469.
The candidates will join an ongoing trial of the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for Ebola virus but not for the Bundibugyo strain.
The trial is being led by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, with support from WHO and other national and international partners.
Although transmission has slowed in some areas, new hotspots continue to appear. Displacement, heavy rains, attacks on health facilities and difficulties reaching remote communities are complicating the response.
The DRC is also facing its worst cholera outbreak in decades, with more than 60,000 cases and 1,800 deaths reported this year.
Kenya has reported nine Ebola cases, including two deaths, while Nigeria has confirmed one case.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised both countries for quickly responding to the imported infections and openly reporting them.
He urged countries that have imposed travel restrictions to lift them, warning that such measures can punish nations for being transparent and discourage future reporting.
“Vaccines are powerful tools,” Tedros said, but stressed that they cannot replace immediate public-health measures, including early treatment, contact tracing, isolation, safe burials and engagement with affected communities.
The WHO’s warning comes as the crisis threatens to widen beyond the DRC’s borders, underscoring the need for regional preparedness and sustained international support.
