The Democratic Republic of the Congo has received 16,250 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine in Kinshasa, the first shipment from 70,000 doses pledged by the World Health Organization and partners. The doses arrived late on Friday as the country confronts its deadliest-ever Ebola outbreak.
More doses are expected next week, but Ervebo is approved only for the Zaire strain. The Bundibugyo strain circulating in the DRC has no approved vaccine or treatment, although early animal-trial data suggest Ervebo could provide some protection, according to the WHO.
How the doses will be used
Of the 70,000 doses intended for the DRC, 20,000 will be used in a late-stage clinical trial examining Ervebo’s effect on the Bundibugyo strain, the WHO said.
The remaining doses are allocated to frontline workers and health workers. DRC Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said Ervebo had been used several times before, including on a large scale during the 2018–2020 outbreak.
Related coverage: A new death extends the DRC Ebola outbreak’s reach.
The outbreak’s toll and timeline
The outbreak has killed more than 2,500 people among nearly 5,300 confirmed cases. It was declared in mid-May but is believed to have started several weeks earlier.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says transmission has not yet peaked and could reach three times its known rate. The United Nations has warned that infections are continuing to spread exponentially.
Why containment remains difficult
Efforts to contain Ebola have been hindered by ongoing armed conflict, delays in identifying cases and inadequate infrastructure in eastern DRC, according to experts.
More context: DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak passes the country’s previous death toll.
The vaccine shipment therefore arrives while health authorities are responding to a strain without an approved vaccine or treatment and while transmission remains on an upward trajectory.
Also read: Ebola deaths in DRC surpass toll from 2018–20 outbreak.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.