DR Congo starts vaccinating health workers — Ebola outbreak

Health workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have begun receiving an Ebola vaccine as authorities battle an outbreak that has killed at least 3,639 people and infected more than 7,500 since May.

Cases and health response

The vaccination campaign began Saturday in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in northeastern DR Congo, which health officials have identified as the epicenter of the rapidly spreading outbreak, Al Jazeera reported.

The campaign, backed by the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders, will also cover North Kivu, where health authorities have reported a sharp rise in cases.

Around 50,000 healthcare and other frontline workers are expected to receive the Ervebo vaccine, which was developed to protect against the Zaire strain of Ebola.

However, the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, and Ervebo has not been specifically licensed for use against it.

“We don’t know to what degree it might be effective against the Bundibugyo strain,” Steve Ahuka, a Congolese health official involved in the Ebola response, said.

Outbreak background

The effectiveness of the vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus will be monitored among about 20,000 recipients for up to one year as part of an ongoing clinical trial.