The first three doses of ZMapp were administered to the American medical missionaries Kent Brantly and Nancy Whitebol, who have recovered, and the Spanish priest Miguel Pajares, who has since died. Some offered a practical justification for the widely criticized selection of Brantly and Whitebol: It makes sense to treat health workers first, so that they can continue to help others.
起初的三剂Zmapp被用于美国医学传教士肯特·布兰特利和南希·怀特博尔，两人最终都得以康复，余下的一剂用于治疗西班牙神父米格尔·帕哈雷斯，帕哈雷斯现在已经去世。有人从实用角度对选择布兰特利和怀特博尔这一引起广泛争议的做法给出了解释：理应先治疗医务工作者，这样他们才能继续为他人提供帮助。但选中75岁高龄的帕哈雷斯让这种说法不攻自灭。