Does the Ebola vaccine work against the 2026 outbreak?

No approved vaccine works against the 2026 outbreak. The 2026 outbreak in DRC and Uganda is Bundibugyo virus. The two approved Ebola vaccines (Ervebo and Zabdeno + Mvabea) target Zaire ebolavirus only. Investigational vaccines against Sudan virus have completed Phase 2 trials but no product is approved for Bundibugyo specifically.

How effective is Ervebo?

In the 2015 Guinea ring-vaccination trial, Ervebo demonstrated 100% efficacy at preventing Ebola virus disease cases occurring 10 or more days after vaccination. Operational deployment in DRC outbreaks since 2018 is consistent with these estimates, though without randomised controls in those settings.

Can I get vaccinated against Ebola as a traveller?

Ervebo is approved and available in several countries for individuals at occupational risk (healthcare workers in outbreak settings, laboratory personnel) and as part of ring-vaccination campaigns near active outbreaks. It is not currently recommended for general tourist travel. Speak to a travel medicine clinic if you have specific risk factors.

Vaccines

Every Ebola vaccine, by strain

Q: Is there an Ebola vaccine?

Yes, but only for Zaire ebolavirus. The FDA-approved Ervebo (Merck rVSV-ZEBOV, single dose) and the EMA-approved two-dose Zabdeno + Mvabea regimen (Janssen) both target Zaire ebolavirus glycoprotein. Neither is approved for Sudan, Bundibugyo, Taï Forest, Reston, or Bombali virus.

What the approved products are. Which strain each covers. Why none of them works against the 2026 Bundibugyo outbreak.

Last updated 2026-05-17

Is there an Ebola vaccine?

Yes, but only for Zaire ebolavirus. No approved vaccine targets the 2026 outbreak strain (Bundibugyo).

Two Ebola vaccines have full regulatory approval: Ervebo (Merck rVSV-ZEBOV, a single-dose live-attenuated vaccine, FDA-approved 2019 and EMA-approved 2019) and the Zabdeno + Mvabea two-dose regimen from Janssen (EMA-approved 2020). Both target Zaire ebolavirus glycoprotein only. Neither is approved or known to protect against Bundibugyo, Sudan, Taï Forest, Reston, or Bombali virus. Because the 2026 PHEIC strain is Bundibugyo, no approved vaccine is indicated for the current outbreak. Investigational candidates exist and may be deployed under WHO R&D Blueprint protocols.

Sources: FDA Ervebo label, EMA Zabdeno, EMA Mvabea, WHO Ebola vaccines.

Approved-product compatibility matrix

Approved product	Type	EBOV	SUDV	BDBV	TAFV
Ervebo	Vaccine	●	○	○	○
Zabdeno + Mvabea	Vaccine	●	○	○	○
Inmazeb	Therapeutic	●	○	○	○
Ebanga	Therapeutic	●	○	○	○

● = covered by an approved product · ○ = not covered by any approved product (as of May 2026)

Ervebo

Approved

rVSV-ZEBOV-GP / V920 · Merck & Co. (Merck Sharp & Dohme)

Mechanism: Live recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) expressing the Zaire ebolavirus envelope glycoprotein.
Dose schedule: Single intramuscular injection.
Target strain: EBOV
Cold chain: Standard cold chain storage at −80 °C to −60 °C; thawed product is stable at 2–8 °C for up to 14 days. Cold chain remains a logistical bottleneck for field ring-vaccination campaigns.
FDA approval: 2019
EMA approval: 2019
WHO prequalified: Yes (2019)

Efficacy

Demonstrated 100% efficacy at preventing Ebola virus disease cases occurring 10+ days after vaccination in the 2015 Guinea ring-vaccination trial (Henao-Restrepo et al., The Lancet, 2017). Operational deployment in DRC outbreaks (2018–2020 Kivu, 2018 Bikoro, multiple resurgences) is consistent with these efficacy estimates, though without randomised controls in those settings.

Primary source: https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/ervebo

Zabdeno + Mvabea

Approved

Ad26.ZEBOV (Zabdeno) + MVA-BN-Filo (Mvabea) · Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) + Bavarian Nordic

Mechanism: Heterologous two-dose prime-boost regimen. Zabdeno (adenovirus 26 vector) primes; Mvabea (modified vaccinia Ankara vector) boosts approximately 8 weeks later.
Dose schedule: Dose 1: Zabdeno (intramuscular). Dose 2: Mvabea (intramuscular) approximately 8 weeks later.
Target strain: EBOV
Cold chain: Standard frozen cold chain (−80 to −60 °C for long-term storage). Operationally more complex than single-dose Ervebo.
EMA approval: 2020
WHO prequalified: Yes (2021)

Efficacy

Approved by EMA on the basis of immunogenicity and safety data (no efficacy field trial). Immune responses persisted in follow-up studies. Operational suitability: pre-emptive vaccination of healthcare workers, frontliners, and at-risk populations - not reactive ring vaccination, due to the two-dose interval.

Primary source: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/zabdeno

SV-EBOV (Sudan) candidate

Investigational

cAd3-EBO S / sBPSV - investigational · Sabin Vaccine Institute, IAVI, and partners

Mechanism: Chimpanzee adenovirus type 3 vector encoding Sudan ebolavirus glycoprotein. Distinct candidate from Merck rVSV-SUDV.
Dose schedule: Single dose under investigation.
Target strain: SUDV
Cold chain: Standard frozen cold chain.

Efficacy

Phase 2 immunogenicity data published; no Phase 3 efficacy data exist because deploying a randomised trial during an active Sudan virus outbreak has remained logistically and ethically complex. Investigational candidates were prepared for the 2022–2023 Uganda Mubende outbreak but did not reach the field in time.

Primary source: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-target-product-profile-for-vaccines-against-sudan-ebolavirus