DRC Requests Ervebo Stockpile for Bundibugyo, Reversing WHO Guidance

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has requested emergency doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine from the global stockpile to combat the Bundibugyo strain, reversing WHO's May guidance. The request follows observational data showing zero vaccinated deaths among 242 confirmed fatalities. The outbreak has 4,449 confirmed cases and 2,061 deaths across five provinces, making it the fastest-spreading in recorded history. Ervebo was designed for the Zaire strain, which diverges from Bundibugyo by approximately 30 percent at the nucleotide level. Africa CDC acknowledges the evidence cannot establish vaccine effectiveness due to survivor and ascertainment biases. WHO's Technical Advisory Group endorsed the vaccine for Phase 3 trial deployment on August 7, citing new immunogenicity and neutralization data. Gavi has committed up to $50 million for the response. The US entry restriction for travelers from affected countries expires around August 12.