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Russia has claimed that it has come up with a new vaccine against the current Ebola virus strain. Here we compare their claim with their 2024 claim about coming up with a free cancer vaccine.
FILE PHOTO: An advocacy poster against the spread of Ebola virus is placed along the walkway at the Platinum Medical Centre, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo Virus in Kampala, Uganda, May 26, 2026.(REUTERS)The Russian Embassy in South Africa has claimed that scientists in their country have developed a vaccine against the new Ebola virus strain.
As per the embassy, the announcement was made by the country's health minister, Mikhail Murashko.
Citing Russian scientists, the embassy said that the vaccine may also serve as a protection against the rare Bundibugyo strain linked to the outbreak in Congo.
But Russia had made similar claims regarding a cancer vaccine, and now let us see how that claim has turned out for Moscow.
Russia's new Ebola vaccine claim: What WHO is saying
There is currently no independently published clinical data that can show the new vaccine Russia has claimed to have made has been effective on human subjects.
Moreover, global health agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) have not yet said that there is an approved vaccine to treat the Bundibugyo strain yet.
Russia's cancer vaccine claims
In late 2024, Russia claimed that it had developed an experimental mRNA vaccine called Enteromix, and had also said that it would be made free for patients starting 2025.
However, independent fact-checkers have raised doubts over this claim, with AFP Fact Check saying that labelling the drug as a cure for cancer is not backed by evidence.
Veronika Skvortsova, the head of Russia’s Federal Medical and Biological Agency, said in an interview that the vaccine's primary focus is on colorectal cancer and it might expand to treat glioblastoma, a serious malignant brain tumour, as well as some special types of melanoma (a skin cancer).
Comparing Russia's cancer vaccine claim to its Ebola claim
The key difference between Russia's cancer vaccine claim and its claim about making a new Ebola vaccine is that the country indeed has a history of developing Ebola vaccines through its Gamaleya Research Institute. Their earlier vaccine produced after the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak was registered domestically.
However, their claim is that their current vaccince involves the Bundibugyo strain, for which the WHO says there is no licensed vaccince produced yet.
Ebola situation
the World Health Organisation (WHO), under the International Health Regulations (IHR), 2005, on May 17, determined the situation to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in light of the reported outbreaks of Ebola disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda
According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has also officially declared the ongoing outbreak of Bundibugyo strain Ebola virus disease affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS).
Further, the WHO IHR Emergency Committee on May 22 issued temporary recommendations to strengthen disease surveillance at Points of Entry to "detect, assess, report and manage travellers with unexplained febrile illness arriving from areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection" while also "discouraging travel to areas with documented Bundibugyo virus detection".
Ebola disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by infection with the Bundibugyo virus strain of Ebola virus. It is a serious disease with a high mortality rate. At present, no vaccines or specific treatments have been approved to prevent or treat Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain.
With agency inputs
About the Author
Sayak Basu
Sayak Basu is a digital journalist with more than seven years of experience in covering general news, politics, science, cricket, and football. He brings a sharp editorial eye and a keen attention to detail in the newsroom.<br><br> Sayak focuses on breaking stories, analysis of political and sporting events, and new scientific research that is pushing the limits of civilisation.<br><br> He has earlier worked for publications like NewsBytes, Cinemaholic, Zacks Investment Research, and Deccan Herald. Sayak currently serves as an Assistant Editor at Livemint where he runs daily news operations.<br><br> Sayak has a master's degree in English Literature from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.<br><br> Based out of Bengaluru, he has a keen interest in world cinema, literature, sports, and music.
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