KINSHASA: (News Desk) – The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a vaccination campaign for frontline health workers as authorities step up efforts to contain the country’s largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.
Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said more than 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine had arrived in the country. The initial campaign will prioritise healthcare workers in provinces affected by the outbreak.
Ervebo is approved for protection against the Zaire species of Ebola and has been used successfully during previous outbreaks. However, the current outbreak is being caused by the Bundibugyo species, for which no vaccine or specific treatment has yet been approved.
Authorities are conducting a clinical trial to determine whether Ervebo can offer protection against the Bundibugyo strain. Of the 70,000 doses allocated to Congo, around 20,000 doses will be used in the trial to assess the vaccine’s effectiveness in humans.
Scientists are also developing vaccines specifically targeting the Bundibugyo species. Among the candidates are vaccines being developed by the University of Oxford and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).
The vaccination campaign began in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province in northeastern Congo. The province is among six areas affected by the outbreak.
Kamba said the campaign would initially focus on provinces surrounding Ituri, where the outbreak was first identified and where cases remain heavily concentrated. Vaccinations will then gradually expand to other affected areas.
The outbreak was declared on May 15. According to the latest government figures provided in the report, 5,794 people have been infected and 2,786 have died, making it the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak recorded worldwide.
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