BUNIA, Congo (AP) — Congo on Saturday began vaccinating healthcare staff against Ebola in Bunia, the epicenter of the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history as they are “particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response,” the provincial governor said.
Health workers and other front-line workers in the Ebola response are being prioritized to receive the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type of virus. Clinical trials are ongoing to find a licensed vaccine for the current outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, which has no licensed vaccine or treatment.
The rollout is targeting the Bunia and Mongbwalu zones in Ituri province, health authorities said Saturday. Both areas are among the hardest-hit by the virus.
“Our collective duty is to protect life. Launching this vaccination drive for front-line staff in Ituri is not an arbitrary choice, as these workers are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response,” the military governor of Ituri, Maj. Gen. Gaby Kasongo Mulumba, said Saturday.
The campaign in Ituri and North Kivu is expected to cover 20,000 front-line workers over a period of six to nine months.
As of Saturday, the country had recorded 7,541 confirmed cases, including 3,639 deaths, according to government figures, while 1,823 people have recovered. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province and is known to be the deadliest of all past 17 Ebola outbreaks in the country.
The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements. The World Health Organization has said it remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Dr. Jeannot Elua, whom The Associated Press met at a health facility in Bunia, said the vaccine was “beneficial.”
“We healthcare workers don’t really have a choice: we are going to receive it,” he said. “Some people here had already received the previous vaccine. I received it myself, because it was mandatory.”
Another front-line health worker, Dr. Jean Paul Uzele, who was vaccinated with Ervebo during the 10th Ebola outbreak, said it was unclear to him whether he should get vaccinated again.
“If it arrives, we will receive it too," he said. “But the question is whether we need to be vaccinated a second time."
Last month, the Ervebo vaccine was rolled out in Kisangani in the Tshopo province. The campaign was expected to cover 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces.
The use of Ervebo is taking place in a specific scientific context. The vaccine is licensed for use against Ebola virus disease caused by the Zaire strain — a different, more common type of Ebola virus.
The World Health Organization said last month that 70,000 doses of Ervebo were approved for use in Congo.
About 50,000 doses are intended for front-line and health workers, while 20,000 doses will be used in a clinical trial to study whether the vaccine protects against Bundibugyo virus, which is causing the current outbreak and has no licensed vaccine or treatment.
The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program, which allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation even though it has not been specifically approved for that particular use.
Health authorities said Ervebo could offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus because the two viruses are related. But whether the vaccine can actually prevent illness in people infected with Bundibugyo Ebola is still being studied.
Health workers who are members of the safe and dignified burial team prepare to bury Abineno Justine, a 38 year old woman who died of the Ebola virus, in Bunia, Congo, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Dieudonne Dirole)
Arsenal slumped to a first loss of its Premier League title defense — and it was a heavy one at Brighton.
After four straight wins for the champions, the 3-0 defeat at Amex Stadium on Saturday came somewhat out of nowhere, and conceding the third goal from a corner — typically an area of strength for Arsenal — summed up an unusually sloppy performance from Mikel Arteta’s team.
Pascal Gross and Charalampos Kostoulas scored in the first half with shots from outside the penalty area, before Chema Andres completed the win with a header at the back post from Gross’ corner.
“There are certain basics that you need to accomplish in football, especially in the Premier League, that we were very far from," said Arteta, who described it as a “big lesson.”
“The amount of technical errors that we did, and we didn’t respect any principle of play that you have to, to get out of man-to-man situations. That put us always on the back foot.”
The victory will have been especially sweet for Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, who said “only one team tried to play football” after his team’s narrow home loss to Arsenal last season.
Arsenal has often struggled against Brighton, which was the last team to inflict such a heavy defeat on the Gunners in any competition — winning 3-0 at Emirates Stadium in May 2023.
It completed a brilliant week for Brighton, which beat Coventry 5-0 in the league last weekend and came from two goals down in midweek to beat Manchester United 3-2 away in the English League Cup.
“We have to have the belief to compete with the best teams in the league,” Hurzeler said.
Manchester City — the other team to win its first four games — can now move three points clear in the standings by beating Sunderland on Sunday.
Fresh off a $400 million summer spend, Tottenham remains without a win in five league games this season after losing 3-2 at home to Aston Villa.
Johan Manzambi, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who starred for Switzerland at the World Cup, made his first start for Villa and scored the opening goal against the run of play in first-half-stoppage time. He set up another for fellow new signing Nicolas Jackson, before Emi Buendia’s long-range strike in the 79th sent Villa on its way to a first league win of the campaign.
Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke grabbed late consolations for Spurs — its first league goals this season — but it is now two losses and three defeats in the league for Roberto De Zerbi's team, which also lost in the English League Cup this week.
After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the 20-team Premier League, Tottenham’s leadership oversaw a huge squad rebuild in the offseason in a show of confidence in De Zerbi.
There’s been no payback so far in terms of results and De Zerbi — a combustible Italian coach — is under growing pressure heading into a long international break.
To make matters worse for Tottenham, World Cup-winning Spain right back Pedro Porro was forced off midway through the first half with an injury.
Fast starts helped Newcastle and Everton claim wins over promoted teams.
Newcastle scored twice in the first seven minutes — through Lewis Hall and Joe Willock — to set up a 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten Hull.
Thierno Barry's 11th-minute goal was enough for Everton to beat Ipswich 1-0.
Nottingham Forest hosted Coventry later.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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Arsenal's manager Mikel Arteta gives instructions during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Martin Odegaard reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Brighton players celebrate after third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Arsenal in Brighton, England, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Tottenham Hotspur's manager Roberto De Zerbi reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
Tottenham Hotspur's Pedro Porro sits injured during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
Aston Villa's Johan Manzambi celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
Aston Villa's Johan Manzambi celebrates as he scores the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)
