Gavi Endorses Inclusion of Ervebo in Phase‑3 Trials for Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak in DRC

On 7 August 2026, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, welcomed the World Health Organization’s Technical Advisory Group recommendation to prioritize the rVSV‑ZEBOV vaccine, Ervebo, for a phase‑3 study in the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The recommendation cites the extensive safety and immunogenicity data that have helped contain several Ebola Zaïre outbreaks over the past decades, making Ervebo a suitable candidate for rapid evaluation against the Bundibugyo strain. Gavi will unlock doses from its global emergency stockpile of 500 000 Ervebo vaccines, financed by the Alliance and managed by the International Coordination Group for Vaccine Procurement, to support the trial. The Alliance also commits US$40 million from its Rapid Response Fund to accelerate and broaden access to promising Bundibugyo candidates, with the goal of eventual WHO prequalification. This move follows Gavi’s earlier intervention during the 2014‑2016 West African Ebola epidemic, when it secured 300 000 experimental doses and established the global emergency stockpile. The stockpile has been mobilized for four Ebola Zaïre response campaigns in the DRC, most recently in September 2025, vaccinating over 47 000 people and helping bring outbreaks under control. Gavi’s support underscores its commitment to rapid vaccine deployment in high‑risk regions and to strengthening outbreak response capacity in low‑income countries.