DRC begins vaccinating front-line healthcare workers against Ebola

What the report says

The Democratic Republic of Congo has started vaccinating front-line health workers and other priority groups against Ebola as authorities try to contain a new outbreak. According to Al Jazeera, the first shots are being administered in Kisangani, while the broader outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province near the Uganda border.

The vaccine being used this week is Ervebo, which is licensed for a different Ebola strain. Its effectiveness against the current Bundibugyo strain has not yet been established, and there is still no approved vaccine or treatment specifically for this strain. Al Jazeera reported that clinical trials are under way to assess whether the vaccine can help, and about 20,000 of the doses sent to the DRC are expected to be used in that study.

Health minister Samuel Roger Kamba said more than 50,000 doses have arrived in the country, and the vaccination campaign is expected to expand outward from the outbreak’s center. The World Health Organization said last week that 70,000 doses had been approved for use in the DRC. Health workers in the region have called for more supplies.

The outbreak is significant because it is the deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the DRC. Government figures cited by Al Jazeera put the total at 5,713 confirmed cases and 2,744 deaths as of Tuesday. The response is taking place amid insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and heavy population movement, all of which are complicating efforts to stop transmission.