Congo begins Ebola vaccinations for health workers in the epicenter of
the outbreak
[September 21, 2026]
By CONSTANT SAME BAGALWA
BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Congo on Saturday began vaccinating healthcare staff
against Ebola in Bunia, the epicenter of the fastest-growing outbreak of
the disease in history as they are “particularly exposed and deeply
involved in the response,” the provincial governor said.
Health workers and other front-line workers in the Ebola response are
being prioritized to receive the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in
past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type of virus.
Clinical trials are ongoing to find a licensed vaccine for the current
outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no licensed vaccine
or treatment.
The rollout is targeting the Bunia and Mongbwalu zones in Ituri
province, health authorities said Saturday. Both areas are among the
hardest-hit by the virus.
“Our collective duty is to protect life. Launching this vaccination
drive for front-line staff in Ituri is not an arbitrary choice, as these
workers are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response,”
the military governor of Ituri, Maj. Gen. Gaby Kasongo Mulumba, said
Saturday.
The campaign in Ituri and North Kivu is expected to cover 20,000
front-line workers over a period of six to nine months.
As of Saturday, the country had recorded 7,541 confirmed cases,
including 3,639 deaths, according to government figures, while 1,823
people have recovered. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province
and is known to be the deadliest of all past 17 Ebola outbreaks in the
country.
The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled
by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense
population movements. The World Health Organization has said it remains
out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa
Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000
people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Dr. Jeannot Elua, whom The Associated Press met at a health facility in
Bunia, said the vaccine was “beneficial.”
“We healthcare workers don’t really have a choice: we are going to
receive it,” he said. “Some people here had already received the
previous vaccine. I received it myself, because it was mandatory.”
[to top of second column]
|
A healthcare worker administers a dose of the Ervebo vaccine at an
Ebola vaccination center in Bunia, Ituri province, Congo, Saturday,
Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Dieudonne Dirole)
 Another front-line health worker,
Dr. Jean Paul Uzele, who was vaccinated with Ervebo during the 10th
Ebola outbreak, said it was unclear to him whether he should get
vaccinated again.
“If it arrives, we will receive it too," he said. “But the question
is whether we need to be vaccinated a second time."
Last month, the Ervebo vaccine was rolled out in Kisangani in the
Tshopo province. The campaign was expected to cover 14 health zones
in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces.
The use of Ervebo is taking place in a specific scientific context.
The vaccine is licensed for use against Ebola virus disease caused
by the Zaire strain — a different, more common type of Ebola virus.
The World Health Organization said last month that 70,000 doses of
Ervebo were approved for use in Congo.
About 50,000 doses are intended for front-line and health workers,
while 20,000 doses will be used in a clinical trial to study whether
the vaccine protects against Bundibugyo virus, which is causing the
current outbreak and has no licensed vaccine or treatment.
The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program, which
allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation
even though it has not been specifically approved for that
particular use.
Health authorities said Ervebo could offer some protection against
the Bundibugyo virus because the two viruses are related. But
whether the vaccine can actually prevent illness in people infected
with Bundibugyo Ebola is still being studied.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
