MSF Urges Wider Access to Ebola Vaccine
Médecins Sans Frontières is calling for rapid expansion of ERVEBO access as the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak spreads in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in COVID-19
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Médecins Sans Frontières is calling for rapid expansion of access to the ERVEBO vaccine during the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak. No licensed vaccine currently exists specifically for the Bundibugyo ebolavirus, and cases have been reported beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo's borders.
Why it matters
ERVEBO is currently the only Ebola vaccine available at scale, and MSF argues the lack of a Bundibugyo-specific vaccine is not a reason to withhold it. Results from candidate Bundibugyo vaccines are months away, leaving existing access as the immediate tool.
The DRC requested 500,000 ERVEBO doses in August, but only 70,000 were released, a fraction of the request. ERVEBO is licensed for people aged one year and older, while evidence for Bundibugyo-specific vaccines in children under 12 may take longer to generate.
The players
Médecins Sans Frontières
An international humanitarian medical organization that runs emergency health programs in conflict and outbreak zones worldwide.
World Health Organization
The United Nations agency responsible for international public health, including coordinating vaccine provision during outbreaks.
The details
The DRC Ministry of Health has expanded ERVEBO access through compassionate-use mechanisms, and the DRC government, with support from Africa CDC, requested doses from the WHO's International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision. MSF stresses that vaccination alone will not bring the outbreak under control.
Timeline
August: DRC requested 500,000 ERVEBO doses; only 70,000 were released.
17 November: WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization meets to consider endorsing expanded ERVEBO use.
Health Landscape
The gap between the 500,000 doses requested and the 70,000 released reflects how the WHO International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision allocates scarce licensed Ebola vaccine supply during outbreaks. The dispute centers on whether a licensed vaccine without Bundibugyo-specific evidence should be used against a strain it was not developed for.
ERVEBO is authorised for people aged one year and older, so expanded access could reach a wider population than Bundibugyo-specific vaccines, which are months away. Whether a dose is received depends on how many are released and how the compassionate-use mechanisms are applied on the ground.
The takeaway
Vaccination alone will not end the Bundibugyo outbreak, according to MSF, so access to existing tools must be paired with broader outbreak control measures. Watch the 17 November WHO advisory meeting for any change in how ERVEBO is released.
What happens next
The WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization will consider endorsement of expanded ERVEBO use on 17 November.
Further reading
For broader context on outbreak response, explore our COVID-19 coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International.
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