DRC Ebola: Health Authorities Begin Vaccinating People Against Ebola

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) health authorities on Wednesday began vaccinating people against Ebola in the North Kivu Province following the recent death of a boy from the virus, raising fears of another major outbreak, reported CGTN Africa.

The young boy lived in the same community where a father and his two children died in September after experiencing Ebola-like symptoms which include severe vomiting and diarrhea. None of the three were tested for Ebola or buried in a safe manner, WHO said.

The DRC has recorded 12 outbreaks since the disease was discovered in the equatorial forest near the Ebola River in 1976. The last Ebola outbreak was reported in the North Kivu province that killed six people. The outbreak was declared over in May, three months after the first case was reported in February.

According to the WHO, more than 170 contacts of the boy have already been identified and are being monitored.

“Ebola is a virulent, lethal virus that can spread aggressively and fast. But vaccines can create a firewall of protection around cases, stopping the chain of transmission, averting a potentially large outbreak, and saving many lives,” WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said in a press release.

Moeti said the health authorities are boosting efforts to halt the latest Ebola resurgence, banking on expertise built-in responding to previous outbreaks.

According to WHO, 1,000 doses of Merck’s Ebola vaccine and other medical supplies were delivered to Goma city in North Kivu and around 200 doses were sent to Beni city near the area where the boy lived.

The health authorities are using the ring vaccination approach, which has been successful in previous Ebola outbreaks. It begins with vaccinating people at high risks, such as contacts of the confirmed case and first responders.

WHO said it will deliver 12,000 additional Ebola vaccine doses in nearby Kinshasa if needed.