Merck injectable vaccine being licensed in four African countries for Ebola prevention

A new milestone in the fight against Ebola was achieved last week with the announcement that Merck’s injectable vaccine, Ervebo, has been licensed for use against Ebola in four nations: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, Ghana, and Zambia.

Additional registrations of the vaccine are expected to follow, as the vaccine was given World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification 90 days ago. Such licensing means that Merck can stockpile and distribute its vaccine to at-risk countries without the need for clinical trials or research protocols. Already, a preliminary study jointly conducted by WHO and the Institut National pour la Recherche Biomedicale has demonstrated a 97.5 percent efficacy for Ervebo and can reduce the chances of death among those already infected.

“The approval of the Ebola vaccine by these countries is another milestone in the fight against this unforgiving disease,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “Africa has rallied to cement hard-fought progress to keep its people safe from Ebola.”

Ervebo also holds the distinction of achieving the fastest vaccine prequalification ever, following its WHO approval in November 2019. It underwent national licensing procedures in parallel, all based on a single scientific review process, rather than traditional one-by-one processes. WHO led the process alongside the African Vaccine Regulatory Forum, European Medicines Agency, and Merck.

“The rapid approval of the Ebola vaccine by countries in the Africa Region helps ensure this critical prevention tool will be available when and where it is needed most,” WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said. “This kind of collaboration and innovation is a model for other health priorities.”