DR Congo to receive 70,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine as Ebola infections surge

WHO says vaccines for Ebola virus disease being allocated to DRC amid largest outbreak that has killed nearly 2,500.

As the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) struggles to manage its largest outbreak of the Ebola virus, it is set to receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine which has been effective in previous epidemics.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the doses have been allocated from the global Ebola virus disease vaccine stockpile and would include 20,000 shots to be used in a late-stage trial ‌‌to understand the impact of the vaccine on the Bundibugyo virus.

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Bundibugyo is responsible for the current outbreak, which has so far killed 2,476 people out of the 5,208 confirmed cases.

The Ervebo vaccine is licensed for use against the Ebola virus – one of the viruses that cause Ebola disease – but not for Bundibugyo.

“It ⁠⁠is not known whether Ervebo may be ⁠⁠protective against the Bundibugyo virus in humans,” the WHO said, stressing the importance of clinical trials to provide new evidence.

To date, no vaccine or specific treatment has been approved for the Bundibugyo virus.

Health workers in a new Ebola treatment centre in the north east of the DRC [File: AFP]

The Congolese government requested last week a release of Ervebo vaccines from the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision.

The remaining 50,000 shots will be used for front line and health workers, following recommendations from the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, the WHO said.

The Geneva-based global vaccine alliance, Gavi, said it would provide $7m to fund the shipment to the DRC, along with another $6m to help with vaccination efforts in high-risk areas.

WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said earlier this week that the Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC remains a global emergency.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the United Nations secretary-general, told reporters on Thursday that humanitarian agencies were warning of the continued spread of the outbreak as authorities seek to manage it.

“Our senior Ebola coordinator on the ground, Julian Harneis, said the government and our partners are scaling up the response with five operational priorities, including tripling safe care capacity, strengthening community engagement, doubling the number of safe and dignified burial teams and expanding disease surveillance and increasing support for the most vulnerable,” he said.

With support from the UN and its partners, the Congolese government also launched the “Congo River Without Ebola” initiative to intensify their response by strengthening disease surveillance and preparedness.

The current outbreak was declared in mid-May, but some experts suspect it began as early as February.