Race to find Ebola vaccine as DR Congo outbreak kills more than 2,000

Deadly outbreak prompts vaccine push

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 2,000 people, according to figures released by Congolese health authorities. The latest toll stands at 2,011 deaths out of 4,381 confirmed cases, as reported by RFI and Africa News. The outbreak, declared on May 15, is concentrated in the country's eastern and northeastern regions, beginning in Ituri province and spreading to North Kivu.

As the country battles what Africa News describes as its deadliest outbreak on record, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said the DRC is set to receive 70,000 doses of an Ebola vaccine. Of these, 20,000 will be used in a Phase 3 clinical trial to assess whether the Ervebo vaccine can protect against the Bundibugyo strain currently spreading. The remaining 50,000 doses will go to frontline and health workers.

Ervebo is approved only for the Zaire strain of Ebola, not the Bundibugyo strain. According to WHO experts, early evidence, including animal studies, suggests Ervebo could offer some protection against Bundibugyo, and the new trial will seek to establish whether that protection extends to humans. The WHO has said the vaccine is being released for limited use and a clinical trial despite its limited approval.

There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, though WHO vaccine experts have recommended a full-scale human trial of Ervebo to test cross-protection, as reported by RFI.

The outbreak, which has recorded more than 5,000 cases and over 2,300 deaths in the past three months according to the WHO, is affecting areas with limited health infrastructure and active armed groups, as noted by both Africa News and RFI.

Response challenges and criticism

The case fatality rate of the current outbreak is estimated at 45.9 percent by Congolese health authorities. Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said the outbreak has not yet peaked and expects to bring it under control within three months.

Insecurity due to the presence of armed groups and mistrust of the local population have hampered the response, according to RFI. WHO regional director Mohamed Yakub Janabi said only 30 percent of infected people are seen, with 70 percent dying at home.

Congolese virologist Jean-Jacques Muyembe criticized the response as "slow and ineffective" in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde, as reported by RFI.

International support and vaccine development

The United States has announced over $242 million in additional funding, bringing total US assistance to over $500 million. Gavi, the global vaccine alliance, maintains a stockpile of 500,000 Ervebo doses, some of which are already in the DRC. Two potential Bundibugyo vaccines are in early clinical trials, and a third is being developed.

Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa in the last 50 years. The WHO emergency committee is set to meet next Tuesday to discuss the epidemic.