Travellers to DR Congo: Bunia launches first Ebola vaccine study as deaths pass 4,600

The first clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine in the outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo began on Friday, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. The first participants were vaccinated in Bunia, capital of the northeastern province of Ituri, the epicentre of the epidemic. The country's worst-ever Ebola outbreak has passed 9,700 cases, with more than 4,600 deaths.

Key facts

• The study is called Tumaini, which means hope in Swahili.
• The first vaccinations were given in Bunia, Ituri province.
• The outbreak has recorded more than 9,700 cases and over 4,600 deaths.
• The trial will include pregnant women and children aged 12 years and older.
• The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on 15 May; WHO triggered a public health emergency of international concern two days later, its second-highest alert level.

What is being tested?

Ervebo, a vaccine approved for use against the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, is being put through a full-scale human trial in the DRC to see whether it offers any cross-protection against Bundibugyo. The Tumaini trial is a single framework that can assess the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of multiple vaccines. It uses ring vaccination, immunising contacts considered at high risk of infection.

Which other vaccines are in the pipeline?

Two Bundibugyo-specific candidate vaccines are being prepared to join the trial and are currently in earlier-stage, smaller-scale clinical studies. One is a ChAdOx1 adenoviral vector vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford; the other, from Moderna, uses mRNA technology. Both have received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and are expected to enter the trial shortly, CEPI said.

Who can take part?

The trial will include pregnant women and children aged 12 years and older, producing evidence for groups that are often excluded from clinical trials. WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu said the study was set up to generate rigorous evidence on whether the participating vaccines can protect people at risk. If successful, he said, it would be the first clear evidence of vaccine efficacy against Bundibugyo virus.

Why is this happening?

No approved vaccines or treatments exist for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola behind this epidemic. Ebola spreads through contact with bodily fluids and causes a haemorrhagic fever, and has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past 50 years. Tedros said on X that "Science gives us hope" and that WHO is supporting the DRC-led effort. Steve Ahuka-Mundeke, the DRC Ebola response incident manager, called the trial an important step towards addressing the urgent needs of affected communities.

What this means for travellers

The announcement covers a vaccine trial only. It gives no information on entry requirements, travel restrictions or vaccination rules for people travelling to or from the DRC. The health crisis is still not under control nearly six months after the outbreak was officially declared, and the trial is taking place in Ituri province, where Bunia is the outbreak's epicentre.

CEPI said the two candidate vaccines are expected to join the trial shortly, and that Tumaini will work with affected communities, health authorities and outbreak response partners to generate evidence on vaccine performance.