Congo Launches Ebola Vaccination for Health Workers Amid Outbreak

WHO:

Al Jazeera - Major-General Gaby Kasongo Mulumba is the provincial governor of Ituri province.

Al Jazeera - Steve Ahuka is a Congolese official part of the health task force against the Ebola outbreak.

Al Jazeera - Dr. Jeannot Elua is a healthcare worker at a health facility in Bunia.

Al Jazeera - The operation is backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF).

WHAT:

Al Jazeera - A vaccination rollout for health workers has begun, targeting 50,000 frontline staff.

Al Jazeera - The Ervebo vaccine, developed for the Zaire strain, is being administered.

Al Jazeera - The effectiveness of the vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain will be monitored in 20,000 recipients for up to one year.

Al Jazeera - The Ebola virus has killed at least 3,639 people and infected approximately 7,541 since May, with 1,823 recoveries reported.

ABC News World - This outbreak is described as the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history.

WHERE:

Al Jazeera - The vaccination rollout started in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, northeastern DRC.

Al Jazeera - The vaccination effort will also target North Kivu, where cases are rising sharply.

WHEN:

Al Jazeera - The vaccination rollout started on a Saturday.

WHY:

Al Jazeera - Health workers are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response to the outbreak.

Al Jazeera - The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program due to the serious disease situation and lack of a licensed vaccine or proven treatment for the current outbreak.

HOW:

Al Jazeera - The vaccine is being administered as part of a clinical trial to assess its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain.

(UPDATED September 20, 2026 09:56 UTC)

A vaccination rollout targeting 50,000 frontline health workers has begun in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in northeastern DRC, with the support of the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders. The Ervebo vaccine, developed for the Zaire strain, is being administered under a compassionate-use program, as health workers are particularly exposed during this outbreak, which has already claimed at least 3,639 lives and infected approximately 7,541 people since May. The effectiveness of the vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain will be monitored in 20,000 recipients for up to one year as part of a clinical trial.