CEPI Commits Up to $3.2 Million for Bundibugyo Ebola Vaccine Trials as 200 Die in Outbreak
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jun 19
CEPI Commits Up to $3.2 Million for Bundibugyo Ebola Vaccine Trials as 200 Die in Outbreak
3 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jun 19
Summary
Up to $3.2 million from CEPI will fund manufacturing preparation and the first human testing steps for Thomas Geisbert’s Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine, a candidate WHO has identified as the most promising in the current outbreak.
Hundreds of people have been infected and about 200 have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, while the vaccine had sat unused for years because Bundibugyo was seen as a lower-priority strain with little commercial market.
Three vaccinated macaques showed no disease in a 2011 study, while two-thirds of unvaccinated animals died; a 2023 study also suggested the rVSV-based shot could support ring vaccination after exposure.
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative will prepare the candidate for production, and CEPI said prior safety and regulatory experience with related rVSV Ebola vaccines could speed development.
A key risk remains: scientists have not secured a live sample from the current outbreak strain, which is estimated to be 98% similar to earlier Bundibugyo viruses but not yet directly tested against the vaccine.
A proven Ebola vaccine exists but remains unused. Is market failure a death sentence for victims of rare diseases?
Should an existing Zaire Ebola vaccine be used now, even if its effectiveness against this new strain is a dangerous unknown?
With hundreds dead, why is a 15-year-old vaccine still months away while newer technologies are also in the race?
2026 Bundibugyo Ebola Crisis: 896 Cases, 232 Deaths, and the Urgent Global Response
Overview
As of June 19, 2026, the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak remains a major public health crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with its impact rapidly expanding. The number of affected health zones in the DRC has grown from 25 to 31, now including 20 out of 36 zones in Ituri Province, 10 out of 34 in North Kivu, and one in South Kivu. This widening geographic footprint highlights the urgent need for effective containment and support, as the outbreak continues to challenge health systems and communities across multiple provinces.