DRC's Fastest-Spreading Ebola Outbreak Lacks a Vaccine

The DRC's 17th Ebola epidemic — its fastest-spreading ever, per the UN — is driven by the Bundibugyo strain, which has no approved vaccine. Past outbreaks used ring vaccination (vaccinating contacts of each case) to break transmission. Here, containment relies solely on isolation, contact tracing, and supportive care. With 5,794 cases and 2,786 deaths across six provinces, that gap is acute.