Congo Launches Emergency Ebola Vaccinations as Historic Outbreak Spirals Out of Control

A Race Against the Deadliest Ebola Surge Ever Recorded

The Democratic Republic of Congo is now fighting what experts describe as the most explosive Ebola outbreak in recorded history — and on August 27, the country launched an emergency vaccination campaign in a desperate bid to slow the carnage. As of August 26, Congo had recorded 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 related deaths. Those numbers are staggering on their own, but the pace at which they are climbing is what has the global health community truly alarmed.

The Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak in Congo is in a phase of intense transmission — it is the largest Ebola outbreak ever reported in the country and is expanding faster than any previous Ebola outbreak. 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.

The Vaccination Campaign and Its Complications

Health Minister Roger Kamba launched the vaccination campaign in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, one of six provinces affected by Ebola in the east. Health workers and other frontline workers in the Ebola response are being prioritized to receive the Ervebo vaccine, which was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common strain. The campaign is expected to cover 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele, and Haut-Uele provinces.

There's a critical catch, however. More than 50,000 doses have been received, and a further 20,000 will be used in a clinical trial to study whether the vaccine protects against the Bundibugyo virus. 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 purpose. In other words, officials are deploying a vaccine they believe could help — but the science is still catching up. 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.

Why the Bundibugyo Strain Makes This So Difficult

Unlike standard Ebola virus disease, there is no licensed vaccine or specific therapeutics against the Bundibugyo virus, though early supportive care is lifesaving. This is the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC and began only five months after the end of the previous outbreak. Early infections are theorized to have occurred in January or February 2026 in the town of Mongbwalu. What started in a single health zone has since exploded outward. Initially confined to the Mongbwalu health zone in Ituri Province, the outbreak has now expanded to 54 health zones across six provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, Tshopo, and Bas-Uélé.

In just 10 weeks, this outbreak became the fastest-growing on record. From July 19–26 alone, 800 additional confirmed cases were reported, along with more than 400 new deaths. The reach of the virus has also crossed borders. On July 10, the US CDC reported that a US citizen working for a humanitarian organization in the DRC had tested positive for the Bundibugyo virus and was medically evacuated to Germany on July 13.

What Comes Next

Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC's director for research, clinical trials and innovation, said data will be collected during the vaccination campaign to measure how well the vaccine works. That real-world data could prove vital — not just for Congo, but for any future outbreak response involving the Bundibugyo strain. Two vaccines developed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus are also being tested in people for the first time.

The stakes could not be higher. Africa CDC chief Jean Kaseya has warned bluntly: "If we do not stop this outbreak, it will last more than a year and will be the largest in the world." With tens of thousands of doses now being administered under emergency authorization, Congo's vaccination push represents the most urgent tool available — imperfect, experimental, but potentially the difference between containing a catastrophe and watching it grow into something the world has never seen before.