2011 年，病毒学家 Thomas Geisbert 开发了一种针对埃博拉（Ebola）邦迪布焦（Bundibugyo）毒株的重组水泡性口炎病毒（rVSV）候选疫苗，展现出极佳的前景。在对食蟹猕猴进行的实验室测试中，该疫苗实现了 100% 的保护力，而未接种疫苗的对照组中则有三分之二（66.7%）死亡。尽管取得了这些成功的结果，但由于缺乏商业兴趣和资金，该疫苗在 15 年内一直未被部署或进行人体临床试验；这是因为邦迪布焦毒株历史上的致死率较低，且仅引发了三次局部疫情，例如 2012 年在刚果民主共和国（DRC）造成 30 人死亡的疫情。

目前在非洲中部和东部爆发的邦迪布焦疫情已感染数百人，并导致约 200 人死亡，引发了紧急应对。世界卫生组织（WHO）已将 Thomas Geisbert 的疫苗列为最具前景的候选疫苗。这一关注得益于针对扎伊尔（Zaire）毒株的 rVSV 基础 Ervebo 疫苗的成功——该毒株在 2013 至 2016 年的疫情期间感染了 28,600 人并导致 11,300 人死亡——以及 2025 年针对苏丹（Sudan）毒株的类似疫苗。一项 2023 年的研究证实了该候选疫苗在环状接种中的有效性，显示即使在接触病毒后仅 20 分钟（20 minutes）进行接种，大多数猴子仍能获得保护。

为了启动人体临床试验，流行病防范创新联盟（CEPI）已承诺提供高达 320 万美元（$3.2 million）的资金，用于准备和测试生产该疫苗所需的临床级材料，并由国际爱滋病疫苗倡议组织负责将该候选疫苗投入生产。然而，挑战依然存在，因为由于物流和官僚障碍，研究人员一直无法从刚果民主共和国获取活病毒样本。虽然基因组测序表明当前的毒株与以往爆发的毒株有大约 98% 的相似度，但剩余 2% 的序列差异仍带来了疫苗有效性可能降低的风险。

In 2011, virologist Thomas Geisbert developed a highly promising recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of ebola. In laboratory tests on crab-eating macaques, the vaccine achieved 100% protection, whereas two-thirds (66.7%) of the unvaccinated control group died. Despite these successful results, the vaccine remained undeployed and untested in human trials for 15 years due to a lack of commercial interest and funding, as the Bundibugyo strain historically had lower fatality rates and had caused only three localized outbreaks, such as the 2012 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) outbreak that caused 30 deaths.

The current Bundibugyo outbreak in Central and East Africa has infected hundreds of individuals and resulted in approximately 200 deaths, prompting a rapid response. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified Thomas Geisbert's vaccine as the most promising candidate. This interest is reinforced by the success of the rVSV-based Ervebo vaccine against the Zaire strain, which infected 28,600 people and caused 11,300 deaths during the 2013-2016 epidemic, and a similar vaccine against the Sudan strain in 2025. A 2023 study confirmed the candidate's efficacy for ring vaccination, showing that most monkeys were protected even when vaccinated just 20 minutes after exposure.

To initiate human trials, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has committed up to $3.2 million (approx. 3.2 million USD) to prepare and test clinical-grade materials, with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative preparing the candidate for production. However, challenges persist because researchers have been unable to obtain live virus samples from the DRC due to logistical and bureaucratic hurdles. Although genomic sequencing suggests the current virus is approximately 98% identical to past outbreak strains, the remaining 2% sequence variation introduces a risk that could compromise the vaccine's efficacy.