New Ebola Vaccine Candidates Enter DRC Trial
Two candidates, ChAdOx1 and mRNA-1469, will be evaluated against the Bundibugyo virus, with results anticipated in early 2027.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Diseases — General
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The World Health Organization recommended two new Ebola vaccine candidates, ChAdOx1 and mRNA-1469, for clinical trial evaluation against the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The candidates are expected to enter the DRC's Tumaini trial after national approvals, which will also assess Ervebo.
Why it matters
The recommendation is intended to strengthen containment efforts for the Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the DRC, where a ring-vaccination approach targets contacts of confirmed cases. Advancing multiple candidates within one trial is meant to speed up the search for an effective vaccine during an active outbreak.
The recommendation comes from the WHO's Technical Advisory Group on Candidate Vaccine Prioritisation, which reviewed candidates for the Tumaini trial. The trial uses ring vaccination among contacts of confirmed Bundibugyo virus disease cases, and results from the vaccine trial are anticipated in early 2027.
The players
World Health Organization
The WHO is the United Nations agency that coordinates international public health responses, including vaccine prioritization during outbreaks.
Moderna
Moderna is a biotechnology company known for its mRNA vaccine platform, which developed the mRNA-1469 candidate.
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a research institution whose vaccine work includes the ChAdOx1 platform, developed with the Serum Institute of India.
Serum Institute of India
The Serum Institute of India is one of the world's largest vaccine manufacturers and co-developed the ChAdOx1 Ebola candidate with Oxford.
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
CEPI is a global partnership that funds rapid development of vaccines against emerging epidemic threats.
The details
The Tumaini trial evaluates several vaccine candidates within a single study design, using ring vaccination in which contacts of a confirmed case are vaccinated to create a protective barrier. The approach builds on a strategy pioneered during the West African Ebola outbreak about a decade ago. Ervebo is also being assessed for efficacy against the Bundibugyo virus within the same trial, while the separate PARTNERS treatment trial, launched in July, is evaluating MBP134, remdesivir, or a combination of both.
Timeline
Vaccine developers were informed of the WHO recommendation on Monday, prior to publication.
The PARTNERS treatment trial was launched in July.
Initial treatment trial findings are expected in the coming months.
Vaccine trial results are anticipated in early 2027.
Health Landscape
The ring-vaccination approach used in the Tumaini trial was pioneered during the West African Ebola outbreak roughly a decade ago. Applying it now to the Bundibugyo virus shows how earlier outbreak-response methods are being adapted to new Ebola-family threats.
For people living in or traveling to outbreak regions, this development signals that vaccine trials are advancing, though no vaccine has yet been proven effective against the Bundibugyo virus. Anyone with questions about travel risk or trial participation should speak with a physician or a public health professional.
The takeaway
Vaccine trials for the Bundibugyo virus are moving forward through a ring-vaccination design, with results expected in early 2027. Readers following outbreak news should watch for trial findings and any updated WHO guidance as they become available.
What happens next
Initial findings from the PARTNERS treatment trials are expected in the coming months, and vaccine trial results are anticipated in early 2027.
Further reading
For broader context on infectious outbreaks, explore Diseases — General.
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