The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday (August 20) the release of 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine to the Democratic Republic of Congo to combat the ongoing Ebola epidemic. The vaccine is licensed against the Zaire strain of the virus, but not against the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the current outbreak, according to the Associated Press.
WHO on Ervebo vaccine doses: Designated for clinical trial
As the World Health Organization explained in its statement: “The allocation includes 20,000 doses intended for a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the vaccine’s efficacy against the Bundibugyo virus, and 50,000 doses for frontline workers and healthcare professionals,” in the DRC.
Congo declares its 17th Ebola epidemic
The Democratic Republic of Congo declared its 17th Ebola epidemic on May 15 — several weeks behind schedule — across northern and eastern regions where the government has a weak presence, health infrastructure is lacking, and the response was quickly overwhelmed by a surge in cases.
The epidemic has already claimed the lives of 2,420 people out of a total of 5,105 confirmed cases, according to the latest official figures published by the WHO — making this Ebola outbreak the deadliest ever recorded in the DRC, spreading at an unprecedented rate.
Ervebo vaccine deployment in the DRC
Last week, the DRC requested the release of Ervebo vaccines from the global stockpile managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, which includes the WHO, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with financial support from the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi).
“On Monday, the ICG informed the government of the DRC of an initial immediate allocation of 70,000 doses,” the WHO stated in its announcement.
WHO experts do not yet know whether Ervebo protects against the Bundibugyo strain in humans, though early laboratory data from animal studies suggest it could offer some degree of protection.
On August 7, the WHO recommended that Ervebo — manufactured by American pharmaceutical company Merck — be evaluated in a clinical trial. The clinical trial procedures have not yet been finalized, but the trial is expected to take place in the DRC, the only country currently experiencing active circulation of the Bundibugyo strain.
Ebola: Vaccines against the Bundibugyo strain enter clinical trials
Two vaccines specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain are currently in clinical trials: one being developed by American group Moderna using mRNA technology, and another by the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Additionally, an “rVSV Bundibugyo” vaccine — described by the WHO as “the most promising” — is expected to be developed by Singapore-based Hilleman Laboratories.
Ebola, which spreads through bodily fluids and causes hemorrhagic fever, has killed at least 15,000 people across Africa over the past 50 years.
