DR Congo launches first Ebola vaccination campaign of current outbreak

The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched its first vaccination campaign against Ebola since the start of the current outbreak, with the initial effort targeting people at highest risk in the eastern part of the country.

Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said the campaign would initially focus on healthcare workers and people who had been in contact with Ebola patients.

“We decided to begin vaccination first to protect those on the front lines of the fight against Ebola. These include healthcare workers, as well as people who have been in contact with patients,” Kamba said.

The DRC has received 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the minister said. The vaccine was developed by Canadian scientists and is manufactured by Merck. Another 20,000 doses are expected to be used in clinical trials in the country.

Ervebo was first used in the DRC in 2018 against the Zaire virus, one of the Ebola-causing viruses, and demonstrated effectiveness.

However, the current outbreak is caused by a different strain, Bundibugyo, against which a vaccine is still under development.

Kamba said he hoped the use of Ervebo would help strengthen immunity among those receiving the vaccine.

By Tamilla Hasanova