DR Congo Launches Ebola Vaccination Amid Outbreak
The Democratic Republic of Congo initiated an Ebola vaccination campaign on Thursday in Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province, prioritizing healthcare workers and frontline responders. Dr. Samuel-Roger Kamba, the Health Minister, reported that the outbreak has spread across six provinces: Tshopo, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele, and Bas-Uele.
The government has recorded more than confirmed cases and deaths, with a fatality rate of about among confirmed cases. The World Health Organisation has expressed concerns that the outbreak could escalate beyond the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, which resulted in over 11,000 fatalities.
More than 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been delivered to Congo, with additional doses set aside for clinical trials. However, a significant challenge exists as the current outbreak is attributed to the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, while Ervebo is only approved for the Zaire strain, leaving no approved vaccine for Bundibugyo Ebola.
The vaccination campaign aims to cover 14 health zones.
Plus234Feed summary based on reporting from Voice of Nigeria. Read the original report below.
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