Congo receives more than 16,000 doses of Ebola vaccine as it grapples
with unprecedented outbreak
[August 22, 2026]
BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Congo has received more than 16,000 doses of
the Ervebo vaccine as the country grapples with the fastest Ebola
outbreak in history, the country's health minister said.
The 16,250 doses arrived at the N’djili International Airport in the
capital, Kinshasa, late Friday, as part of 70,000 doses expected from
the World Health Organization and partners that were announced on
Thursday. More doses are expected early next week.
The current Ebola outbreak in Congo is caused by the rare Bundibugyo
virus, which currently has no approved treatment or vaccine. It can
spread easily and go undetected because some of its symptoms are similar
to other illnesses, such as malaria. The Ervebo vaccine is licensed to
treat Ebola and has been effective in past outbreaks. The WHO said it
may provide some protection against the Bundibugyo virus.
The latest outbreak, which has recorded 2,516 deaths out of the 5,290
confirmed cases as at Friday, is spreading at an unprecedented rate and
is on track to surpass the deadliest outbreak on record, which killed
over 11,000 people across West Africa between 2014 and 2016. Data from
the Africa Centre for Disease Control shows that transmission has not
yet peaked and could reach three times its known rate.
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Residents and frontline workers embark on Ebola outbreak awareness
campaign in Beni, North Kivu province, eastern Congo, Friday, Aug.
21, 2026. (AP Photo/Sebastien Kitsa Musayi)
 Efforts to contain the outbreak have
been hampered by armed conflict between the government and rebel
groups, which control key cities in the hot spot; attacks on medical
personnel and facilities; an itinerant labor population and people
displaced by the armed conflict; and a lack of critical
infrastructure.
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