New Ebola vaccine trial launches as outbreak spreads in DR Congo
4 August 2026
HealthResults may be months away, but efforts are advancing towards enhanced treatment and the world’s first vaccine for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday as deaths and cases rise in the largest ever outbreak on record in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Key points3,748 cases, including 1,657 deaths and 708 recoveries, as of 1 August, according to WHOWhile Ebola vaccines exist, trials for the first ever Bundibugyo species-specific candidate vaccine began in the UK on 24 July, with a second starting in Canada this weekClinical trials of medicine and treatment options are rolling out in Ituri province, the restive epicentre of the current outbreak A new 100-bed treatment centre was inaugurated in Bunia, capital of IturiSearching for solutionsCompared to previous Ebola outbreaks, trials started more quickly this time as protocols had been written before the current one was declared in DRC in mid-May, said Vasee Moorthy, acting lead of WHO’s R&D Blueprint, a global platform for research and development collaboration to respond to epidemics and pandemics.Despite ongoing efforts, there are still no proven safe and efficacious treatment, preventive or vaccination options for the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus, Dr. Moorthy told reporters in Geneva.However, it would likely still be several months before more definite conclusions could be drawn from the ongoing trials, he said.
