First Clinical Trial of Ebola Vaccine Begins in Democratic Republic of Congo

The first clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine in the DRC's current outbreak began on October 23, 2026, in Bunia, Ituri province.

The trial, named Tumaini, will test whether the Ervebo vaccine approved for the Zaire strain offers cross-protection against the Bundibugyo species.

The DRC outbreak has exceeded 9,700 cases and 4,600 deaths, driven by the Bundibugyo strain which previously lacked approved vaccines.