Congo has begun vaccinating healthcare workers against Ebola in Bunia, the center of the country’s current outbreak. Authorities launched the campaign on Saturday as health workers face a high risk of exposure while treating patients and supporting the response.
The vaccination drive covers the Bunia and Mongbwalu health zones in Ituri province. Both areas rank among the hardest-hit locations. Health authorities are giving priority to doctors, nurses and other front-line workers involved in the Ebola response.
Ervebo Vaccine Used in Congo
Officials are using the Ervebo vaccine for the campaign. The vaccine has proven effective against Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain. However, the current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo virus.
The Bundibugyo strain has no licensed vaccine or specific treatment. Researchers are conducting clinical trials to determine whether Ervebo can provide protection against it.
Military governor of Ituri, Maj. Gen. Gaby Kasongo Mulumba, said protecting health workers remains a priority. He described them as highly exposed because of their direct role in the response.
The wider vaccination campaign in Ituri and North Kivu aims to reach about 20,000 front-line workers over six to nine months.
Ebola Outbreak Continues to Spread
Government figures showed 7,541 confirmed Ebola cases and 3,639 deaths as of Saturday. Officials also reported 1,823 recoveries.
The outbreak has hit Ituri particularly hard. Authorities also face serious challenges on the ground. Insecurity, population displacement, a health workers’ strike and large movements of people have complicated efforts to control the disease.
The World Health Organization has warned that the outbreak remains difficult to control. It could eventually surpass the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which killed more than 11,000 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Dr. Jeannot Elua, a health worker in Bunia, described the vaccine as beneficial. He said many healthcare workers had already received Ebola vaccines during previous outbreaks.
Another doctor, Jean Paul Uzele, also received Ervebo during Congo’s 10th Ebola outbreak. However, he said he remains unsure whether people who received the vaccine before need another dose.
Congo Receives 70,000 Ervebo Doses
Congo began using Ervebo in Kisangani last month. That campaign covers health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces.
The WHO said 70,000 Ervebo doses had been approved for use in Congo. Authorities plan to use about 50,000 doses for health and front-line workers.
The remaining 20,000 doses will support a clinical trial. Researchers will study whether Ervebo can protect people against the Bundibugyo virus.
Authorities are using the vaccine under a compassionate-use program. This approach allows doctors to use a medical product in serious situations even when regulators have not approved it for that specific disease or strain.
Health officials say the relationship between the Zaire and Bundibugyo viruses could allow Ervebo to provide some protection. However, researchers still need evidence to determine whether the vaccine can prevent illness caused by Bundibugyo Ebola.
