A Kenya-linked Ebola vaccine could soon be deployed in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo as scientists race to contain a fast-spreading outbreak that has already claimed more than 130 lives, health experts have revealed.
The vaccine, known as Ervebo, was partly tested in Kenya during earlier Ebola preparedness efforts and is currently licensed to protect against the deadly Zaire strain of the virus. But experts are now urgently assessing whether it could offer any defence against the Bundibugyo strain behind the latest outbreak sweeping across East Africa.
Global health agencies have sounded the alarm as cases continue to rise in Uganda and the DRC, with fears mounting over cross-border transmission and the risk of the virus spreading deeper into densely populated urban centres.
According to health officials, more than 500 suspected infections have already been recorded in the Congo, alongside over 130 deaths. Uganda has also confirmed cases in Kampala, triggering intensified surveillance and emergency response measures.
However, scientists warn there is still no proven vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain.
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, confirmed that current global Ebola vaccine stockpiles are designed specifically for Zaire ebolavirus and may not provide protection against the strain now circulating.
“Considering the extremely limited available evidence on cross-protection against non-Zaire species, any decision to use this vaccine in the current outbreak will require further assessments and will occur in accordance with WHO guidance,” Gavi said in a statement.
The organisation added that any emergency deployment would only proceed with informed consent from affected communities.
The World Health Organization has already classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, while the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has declared it a continental emergency amid fears the outbreak could spiral further.
Health officials say the situation is particularly worrying because several affected areas are conflict-hit and difficult to access, severely complicating surveillance operations and emergency medical responses.
Gavi said it is now working alongside the WHO, Africa CDC, UNICEF, the World Bank and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to assess whether existing vaccines or experimental candidates could be rapidly adapted for the current outbreak.
Among the options under consideration is a modified version of the Ervebo platform tailored specifically for the Bundibugyo strain. But officials warned that no doses are currently available and production for trial use could take between six and nine months.
Another vaccine candidate based on the ChAdOx platform — technology previously used in Covid-19 vaccines — is also being evaluated, although it has not yet undergone animal or human testing for this Ebola variant.
Despite the uncertainty, experts insist vaccination remains one of the most powerful tools for controlling Ebola outbreaks.
A 2025 study published in BMJ Global Health found that Ebola vaccination campaigns reduced infections by an average of 77 per cent and deaths by 76 per cent during outbreaks involving the Zaire strain.
Gavi currently maintains a stockpile of around 500,000 Ervebo doses, many of which have already been used in outbreak responses across the DRC, including a major 2025 vaccination campaign that immunised more than 47,000 people.
Frontline health workers across parts of East Africa have also received preventive vaccinations as authorities prepare for the possibility of wider regional spread.
As scientists urgently investigate whether existing vaccines can be adapted to tackle the emerging strain, health agencies say rapid coordination, community cooperation and evidence-based action will be essential to preventing a deeper public health crisis across the region.
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