Congo launches Ebola vaccination campaign for frontline workers

Congo began vaccinating health care workers against Ebola on Saturday in Bunia, the epicenter of the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in the country’s history. Health care and other front-line workers are being prioritized for the Ervebo vaccine, which has proved effective in previous outbreaks caused by the more common Zaire strain. Nikole Landu, a healthcare worker said that she wanted to get vaccinated because she is in constant contact with sick people and she is at high risk of catching this disease. "So the vaccine I received today will help protect me. I might still get the disease, but I'm less likely to develop a severe case", she added. Health authorities said Ervebo could offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus because the two viruses are related. But whether the vaccine can actually prevent illness in people infected with Bundibugyo Ebola is still being studied. The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program, which allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation even though it has not been specifically approved for that particular use. The rollout is targeting the Bunia and Mongbwalu zones in Ituri province, health authorities said Saturday. Both areas are among the hardest-hit by the virus. As of Saturday, the country had recorded 7,541 confirmed cases, including 3,639 deaths, according to government figures. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province and is known to be the deadliest of all past 17 Ebola outbreaks in the country. The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements. The World Health Organization has said it remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The military governor of Ituri, Maj. Gen. Gaby Kasongo Mulumba said that the launch of this vaccination drive for front-line staff in Ituri is not an arbitrary choice, as these workers are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response. "Together, we can defeat Bundibugyo virus disease and protect our community," he said. Mulumba got himself vaccinated on Saturday in Bunia. Last month, the Ervebo vaccine has been rolled out in Kisangani in the Tshopo province. The campaign was expected to cover 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces. The World Health Organization said last month that 70,000 doses of Ervebo had been approved for use in Congo. About 50,000 doses are intended for frontline and health workers, while 20,000 doses will be used in a clinical trial to study whether the vaccine protects against Bundibugyo virus, which is causing the current outbreak and has no licensed vaccine nor treatment.