Congo begins Ebola vaccination drive for front-line workers in Ituri
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Congo on Saturday began vaccinating healthcare and other front-line workers against Ebola in Bunia as health authorities seek to protect those most exposed to the virus.
It is the epicentre of the country’s fastest-growing Ebola outbreak.
The vaccination campaign is targeting the Bunia and Mongbwalu zones in Ituri province, among the areas hardest hit by the outbreak. Front-line workers are being prioritised for the Ervebo vaccine, which has been effective in previous Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain.
“Their protection is a priority because they are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response,” Ituri military governor Maj. Gen. Gaby Kasongo Mulumba said.
The campaign in Ituri and North Kivu is expected to cover 20,000 front-line workers over six to nine months. As of Saturday, Congo had recorded 7,541 confirmed cases, including 3,639 deaths, while 1,823 people had recovered, according to government figures.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, is concentrated in Ituri and has become the deadliest of Congo’s 17 Ebola outbreaks. The virus has no licensed vaccine or treatment. The outbreak is spreading amid insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements.
The World Health Organization has said the outbreak remains out of control and could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Ervebo is licensed for Ebola virus disease caused by the Zaire strain, not Bundibugyo virus. WHO said last month that 70,000 doses had been approved for use in Congo, with 50,000 intended for front-line and health workers and 20,000 for a clinical trial examining whether the vaccine can protect against Bundibugyo virus.
The vaccine is being administered under a compassionate-use programme. Health authorities said it could offer some protection because the two viruses are related, but its effectiveness against Bundibugyo Ebola is still being studied.
Ervebo was also rolled out last month in Kisangani in Tshopo province, with the campaign expected to cover 14 health zones across Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces.