Ebola Vaccine Development Faces Race Against Time as Death Toll Mounts

Mon Jun 01 2026 19:16:47 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

The World Health Organization warns that a vaccine for the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo could take up to nine months as the situation escalates.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it might take nine months to develop a suitable vaccine for the recent outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). With 600 suspected cases and 139 reported deaths, the urgency for a solution is critical, especially given the challenges in detecting the virus and the sheer scale of the outbreak. Among the confirmed cases, 51 are reported in DRC and two in neighboring Uganda. The WHO has declared a public health emergency but clarified it is not classified as a pandemic at this stage, with high regional risk but low global risk noted by the organization.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it could take up to nine months before a vaccine against this particular species of Ebola is ready.

Two possible candidate vaccines against the Bundibugyo species are being developed, but neither had gone through clinical trials yet, WHO advisor Dr Vasee Moorthy said on Wednesday.

WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there have been 600 suspected cases of Ebola and 139 suspected deaths but numbers are expected to rise given the time taken to detect the virus.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, he said 51 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo - where the first case was reported - and two in neighbouring Uganda.

On Sunday, the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern, but said it was not at pandemic level.

Tedros said that after meeting on Tuesday, the health organisation's emergency committee agreed the situation was not a pandemic emergency.

WHO assesses the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level, he explained.

The 51 cases confirmed in DR Congo are in its eastern Ituri province - the epicentre of the outbreak - as well as North Kivu province. Of the two confirmed in Uganda's capital, Kampala, both had travelled from DR Congo, one of whom has died.

Local health workers say some facilities are being overwhelmed. Although personal protective equipment has started to arrive, they say they are still working without adequate protection.

The UK government has announced it will provide up to £20m to help to contain the outbreak. The money will pay for frontline health workers, improved infection control and disease surveillance.

Initial symptoms of Ebola mirror illnesses such as malaria and typhoid, which are common in DR Congo. Eastern DR Congo is also badly hit by years of conflict, bringing additional difficulties in dealing with the virus.

Ebola was first discovered in 1976 in what is now DR Congo, and is thought to have spread from bats. The country is facing its 17th outbreak of Ebola, particularly the Bundibugyo species - which has not been seen for more than a decade - complicating efforts to control its spread.