Olushola Omogbehin
Following the recent outbreak of Ebola virus in Kasai Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, World Health Organization has commenced the vaccination of frontline health workers and contacts of people infected with the virus.
This was disclosed on Sunday by the African Region of the World Health Organisation.
According to WHO, an initial 400 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine from the country’s stockpile of 2,000 doses have been delivered to Bulape, which is the outbreak’s epicentre.
In additional, WHO said more drugs will be delivered to the affected areas in the days ahead.
“The vaccine is being administered through a ring vaccination strategy, which entails vaccinating individuals at the highest risk of infection after having come into contact with a patient confirmed with the virus. It is also recommended for healthcare and frontline workers responding to the outbreak who may be in contact with Ebola patients. The Ervebo vaccine is safe and protects against the Zaire ebolavirus species, which has been confirmed as the cause of the ongoing outbreak.
“The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision has approved around 45,000 additional Ebola vaccine doses to be shipped to the Democratic Republic of the Congo as part of the ongoing outbreak response. WHO supported the health authorities to develop the request for additional doses and, with partners including UNICEF, also supported the development of a vaccination plan for the rollout of the doses. Vaccination teams are also being trained in data collection and receiving field support.
“In addition to the vaccines, treatment courses of the monoclonal antibody therapy (Mab114) drug have also been sent to treatment centres in Bulape for clinical care,” it stated.
The UN body has also deployed 48 experts in disease surveillance, clinical care, infection prevention and control, logistics, and community engagement who, along with partner organisations, are supporting the government to rapidly strengthen outbreak response measures to halt the spread of the virus.
“In countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of the Congo, WHO is working with national authorities to bolster operational readiness to enable rapid detection of cases and prompt initiation of measures to curb further spread.
The outbreak, the country’s first in three years, was declared in early September. Congo’s dense tropical forests are a natural reservoir for the Ebola virus, which causes fever, body aches, and diarrhoea, and can linger in the body of survivors only to resurface years later.
So far, data from the health ministry in Kinshasa said there were 32 suspected cases, 20 confirmed cases and 16 deaths.
