DRC Begins Ebola Inoculations Amid Record Outbreak

The Democratic Republic of Congo has initiated an emergency vaccination drive targeting frontline healthcare workers in Kisangani as it combats its fastest-growing and deadliest Ebola outbreak on record.

Covering six provinces, with a heavy concentration in Ituri, the disease has caused 5 713 confirmed cases and 2 744 deaths.

The World Health Organization warns the situation remains out of control, risking a higher death toll than the 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic. Containment efforts face severe obstacles, including widespread insecurity, population displacement, intense mobility, and an ongoing strike by medical staff.

A key difficulty is that the current surge stems from the Bundibugyo strain, which lacks a licensed treatment or preventative drug. Consequently, health authorities are deploying 70,000 doses of Ervebo – an inoculation approved for a different strain – under a compassionate-use programme, allocating 20,000 doses for clinical trials to evaluate its cross-protection capabilities. The campaign will initially span 14 health zones across Tshopo, Bas-Uele, and Haut-Uele.

Reflecting on the strategy, DR Congo Health Minister Dr Samuel-Roger Kamba stated: “In collaboration with all our technical and financial partners, and after consulting with our leading scientists, we have decided to use the tried-and-true Ervebo vaccine to first protect those on the front lines – our healthcare providers.”

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