Ebola vaccine could take nine months as death toll rises further, WHO warns
The World Health Organization said the death toll in the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 165 and warned an effective vaccine targeting the current strain could take up to nine months to be available. The outbreak is spreading faster than in past years.
According to the World Health Organization's update on 20 May 2026, the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed 600 confirmed cases and 165 deaths, with more than 950 suspected cases. The outbreak is concentrated in Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces; about 8 percent of health workers have been infected.
WHO Deputy Director of Emergencies Dr Mike Ryan said in a press briefing that the viral strain causing the current outbreak is different from the Zaire strain targeted by the recently approved Ervebo vaccine. Ryan said developing and securing international approval for an effective vaccine could take up to nine months. The existing vaccine offers partial protection and is being administered to contacts.
The WHO said monitoring is being complicated by the ongoing armed conflict in the east and that it has issued a 290 million dollar funding appeal for outbreak control. Donors have so far pledged 87 million dollars. The World Bank and the European Union have opened discussions for additional financing. Neighbouring Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have tightened border surveillance measures.
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