Kisangani: The Democratic Republic of Congo has begun vaccinating frontline health workers against Ebola as authorities work to contain the country's largest Ebola outbreak on record.
The vaccination campaign began on Thursday in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province. Health workers and other people involved in the Ebola response are being prioritised because they risked exposure to the virus.
Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said Congo had received more than 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine. The country has been allocated 70,000 doses in total.
About 50,000 doses are intended for frontline and health workers, while 20,000 doses will be used in a clinical trial to assess whether the vaccine can protect people against the virus causing the current outbreak.
The use of Ervebo comes with an important scientific limitation. The vaccine is licensed for the Zaire species of Ebola, which caused several major outbreaks in the past. The current outbreak in Congo is caused by the Bundibugyo species.
There is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment approved for Bundibugyo virus disease.
Early laboratory and animal studies suggest that Ervebo may provide some protection against Bundibugyo virus, but its effectiveness in humans remains unknown. The clinical trial is expected to provide evidence on whether the vaccine can protect people against the virus.
The vaccination campaign comes as the outbreak continues to spread across eastern Congo.
The latest government figures show that 5,794 confirmed cases and 2,786 deaths have been recorded. The outbreak has now affected 60 health zones across six provinces.
Two new health zones, Biena and Manguredjipa, have been affected in North Kivu province, according to the latest figures.
Ituri province remains the main centre of the outbreak, with most cases and deaths reported there. The outbreak was first identified in Ituri before spreading to other parts of eastern Congo.
Congo declared the outbreak on May 15, 2026. Two days later, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern because of its severity and the risk of further international spread.
The World Health Organization has described the outbreak as expanding faster than previous Ebola outbreaks. It has already surpassed the 2018 to 2020 Ebola outbreak in Congo, which was previously the country's largest, with 3,317 confirmed cases.
The response is taking place under difficult conditions. Insecurity, population displacement, intense population movement and limited access to some affected communities have made it harder for health teams to identify cases, trace contacts and provide treatment.
Attacks and other security problems have also affected Ebola response activities in some areas. A strike by health workers has added further pressure to the response.
Despite these challenges, Congo and its international partners have expanded laboratory testing, treatment capacity, surveillance and community engagement.
The vaccination campaign began in Kisangani and is expected to first cover provinces surrounding Ituri before progressively moving closer to the main centre of the outbreak. The programme is expected to cover 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas Uele and Haut Uele provinces.
The vaccine campaign is also part of a wider effort to protect health workers and reduce the risk of further transmission. However, officials have not yet established how effective Ervebo will be against the Bundibugyo virus.
The regional situation has also changed in recent days.
Uganda, which was affected by the same Bundibugyo species of Ebola, was declared free of the outbreak on Thursday after completing 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case. Uganda had earlier announced the interruption of local transmission on July 28, following the discharge of its last locally infected patient.
The end of the Ugandan outbreak is a major development for the region, but health authorities continue to warn that the country remains at risk of imported cases because transmission is continuing in neighbouring Congo.
For Congo, the immediate challenge is to protect health workers, detect infections quickly, provide treatment and prevent further spread.
The use of Ervebo may provide an additional tool, but evidence on its protection against Bundibugyo virus is still being gathered. For now, vaccination is being carried out alongside testing, contact tracing, treatment and community engagement as Congo works to bring the outbreak under control.