DR Congo rolls out Ebola vaccine for health workers as death toll rises
Summary
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has started giving an Ebola vaccine to health workers in the Ituri province to help protect them from the virus. The vaccine, originally made for a different Ebola type, is being tested for effectiveness against the current strain, while the outbreak continues to cause many deaths and infections.Key Facts
- The vaccine rollout began in Bunia, Ituri province, which is the center of the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak ever recorded.
- The vaccine used is called Ervebo, developed for the Zaire strain of Ebola, not the current Bundibugyo strain.
- About 50,000 health and frontline workers will receive the vaccine, and 20,000 of them will be monitored for up to one year.
- There is no approved vaccine or sure treatment yet for this current Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are supporting the vaccination effort.
- Since May, over 3,600 people have died and more than 7,500 have been infected in this outbreak.
- WHO allowed the use of 70,000 doses of Ervebo under a special program for serious diseases.
- Early signs show the vaccine might help, but it is not yet confirmed, and the outbreak is still not fully controlled.
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