Yes, there is a vaccine for Ebola. The first Ebola vaccine, called ERVEBO, was approved by the FDA in 2019 and is manufactured by Merck. A second regimen using two separate vaccines (Zabdeno and Mvabea) has been authorized in Europe. Both target the Zaire species of Ebola virus, which has caused the largest and deadliest outbreaks.
How ERVEBO Works
ERVEBO is a single-dose, live vaccine. It uses a harmless livestock virus (vesicular stomatitis virus) that has been genetically modified to carry a protein from the Ebola virus on its surface. When your immune system encounters that protein, it learns to recognize and attack the real Ebola virus if you’re ever exposed.
The vaccine’s effectiveness was demonstrated during the 2014–2016 outbreak in Guinea. In a study of 3,775 people who were close contacts of confirmed Ebola patients, no one who received the vaccine immediately developed Ebola disease 10 or more days after vaccination. That trial design, called ring vaccination, mimics how the vaccine is actually used during outbreaks: vaccinating the people closest to confirmed cases to create a protective buffer.
The Two-Dose European Regimen
The Zabdeno and Mvabea regimen, authorized by the European Medicines Agency, works differently. You receive a first injection (Zabdeno), followed by a second injection (Mvabea) about eight weeks later. Both vaccines are approved for adults and children one year and older. Because this regimen requires two doses spread over two months, it’s better suited for pre-outbreak preparedness, such as vaccinating healthcare workers in regions where Ebola circulates, rather than rapid outbreak response.
Who Can Get Vaccinated
Both ERVEBO and the Zabdeno/Mvabea regimen are indicated for people 12 months of age and older. During active outbreaks, however, the WHO’s advisory group recommends off-label use for additional groups, including newborns and pregnant or breastfeeding women, depending on their level of exposure risk. Each country decides whether to extend vaccination to those populations based on the severity of the outbreak.
Outside of outbreak zones, ERVEBO is not part of routine vaccination schedules. It’s primarily given to healthcare workers, lab personnel, and outbreak responders who face a realistic risk of exposure.
Side Effects
The most common reactions to ERVEBO are pain, swelling, and redness at the injection site. Systemic side effects include headache, fever, muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, skin rash (sometimes with blisters), and abnormal sweating.
Joint pain or swelling can also occur and, in rare cases, can be severe and long-lasting. This is more common in women and in people with a history of arthritis. Some recipients see a temporary dip in certain white blood cell counts, but levels return to normal on their own without causing illness.
How Long Protection Lasts
Antibody levels rise sharply in the first month after vaccination. At six months, studies have found that roughly 94 to 96 percent of vaccinated adults still show a strong antibody response. In children and adolescents, about 86 percent maintained a robust immune response at the six-month mark. A trial in Liberia that followed 500 vaccinated volunteers for a full year found no cases of Ebola in the group, though the overall risk during that period was low, making it hard to draw firm conclusions about long-term efficacy.
Data beyond one year is still limited. Booster dose protocols are being studied to determine whether a follow-up shot could extend protection for people with ongoing occupational risk.
It Only Covers One Ebola Species
This is an important limitation. All currently licensed Ebola vaccines protect against the Zaire species of the virus only. They do not provide cross-protection against other Ebola species, such as the Sudan virus, or against the related Marburg virus. The Sudan species caused a major outbreak in Uganda in 2022, and there was no approved vaccine available to combat it.
Clinical trials for a Sudan virus vaccine are now underway. The WHO and partners launched a ring vaccination trial using a candidate developed by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). The trial compares immediate vaccination of contacts of confirmed cases against a 21-day delayed vaccination to measure how well the vaccine prevents disease. No Sudan virus vaccine has been approved yet.
Global Stockpile and Access
The WHO maintains a global emergency stockpile of 500,000 doses of Ebola vaccine, available at all times for outbreak response. Countries experiencing an outbreak can request doses by submitting an application to the International Coordinating Group (ICG) through WHO Geneva. Any ICG member agency present in the country, including the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, or UNICEF, can submit the request on behalf of the country’s health ministry.
Requests are evaluated based on the epidemiological situation, the planned vaccination strategy, any doses the country already has on hand, and the operational realities of the response. This system means that even countries without their own vaccine supply can access doses within days of a confirmed outbreak.