The first participant in Tumaini, a Phase 2/3 clinical trial of vaccine candidates against Bundibugyo virus, was vaccinated on 23 October 2026 in Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp. Tumaini means 'hope' in Swahili.
Bundibugyo virus is the species of Ebola behind the current outbreak, which was declared on 15 May 2026 and has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization. There is currently no approved vaccine against it. As of 21 October 2026, 9,552 cases and 4,602 deaths had been confirmed in the DRC. AFP, reported by Al Jazeera, said the outbreak has been reported in four countries across eastern, central and western Africa.
The first candidate in the trial is Ervebo, a vaccine licensed against a different species, Zaire ebolavirus, which is being tested to see whether it offers cross-protection. Two Bundibugyo-specific candidates funded by CEPI, developed by Moderna and by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India, are being prepared to join. The trial uses ring vaccination of contacts at high risk of infection, and includes pregnant women and children aged 12 and over.