The Democratic Republic of Congo has begun a vaccination campaign against Ebola in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, as the country battles its deadliest outbreak of the disease on record. Health Minister Roger Kamba announced the launch on Thursday, prioritizing frontline health workers and those who have been in contact with patients. As of Tuesday, the outbreak had affected six provinces – Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut-Uele, and Bas-Uele – with 5,713 confirmed cases and 2,744 deaths, representing a 48% fatality rate.
More than 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been received, with 70,000 doses approved by the World Health Organization. Approximately 50,000 doses are designated for health workers, while 20,000 will be used in a clinical trial to assess the vaccine’s effectiveness against the Bundibugyo type of Ebola. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, though the Ervebo vaccine is approved for the Zaire ebolavirus strain. Authorities are utilizing the vaccine under a compassionate-use program, believing it may offer some protection due to the viruses’ relatedness, but its efficacy against Bundibugyo Ebola remains under study. Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC’s director for research, clinical trials and innovation, stated data will be collected to measure the vaccine’s performance.
The outbreak is occurring under challenging conditions, including insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike, and population movement. The World Health Organization has indicated the outbreak is out of control and on track to exceed the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which killed over 11,000 people. Kamba urged health workers to get vaccinated, emphasizing the importance of protecting themselves and preventing the spread of the virus to their communities.
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