WHO approves trials for two new Ebola vaccines

What the report says

The World Health Organization has approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines as health officials work to contain a major outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Al Jazeera reported on November 4, 2026. The trials focus on the Bundibugyo strain, which has spread rapidly in the country and has been linked to more than 5,300 deaths since May, according to the report.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the current effort builds on a trial that started last month using the Ervebo vaccine, which protects against the Zaire strain but was not created for Bundibugyo. The new candidates are intended to address that gap. The DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the study with WHO support and other partners, and results are expected in early 2027.

Al Jazeera reported that the vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford, the Serum Institute of India and Moderna. Tedros stressed that vaccination must be paired with other control measures, including early treatment, contact tracing, isolation, safer burials and community engagement.

The report also said the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 10,444 cases, describing the outbreak as the fastest-growing in DRC history. WHO is supporting neighbouring countries to prepare for possible cross-border spread, while a British healthcare worker infected in the DRC is being evacuated to the UK for specialist care.