Theresa is the lead Morning Rounds writer, and her stories focus on gender-affirming care, reproductive health, and mental health. Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. AdvertisementEbola outbreak nears milestone, while a vaccine remains months awayThe Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is within a day or two of becoming the second largest on record. A startling thing about this pending development: The Ituri outbreak has reached this size a mere 2½ months after being detected as being underway. The vaccine will use the same platform employed for Merck’s Ebola Zaire vaccine.