WHO begins Ebola vaccinations in DRC as outbreak spreads

The World Health Organization (WHO) has begun vaccinating frontline health workers and contacts of infected individuals in response to a new Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Kasai Province.

An initial 400 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine have been delivered to Bulape, the epicentre of the outbreak, from a national stockpile of 2,000 doses. The International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision has approved the shipment of an additional 45,000 doses to help contain the spread.

The outbreak, declared in early September, is the DRC’s first in three years. The virus, which thrives in the country’s dense tropical forests, has so far resulted in 32 suspected cases, 20 confirmed, and 16 deaths, according to the health ministry in Kinshasa.

WHO Programme Area Manager Patrick Otim warned that the outbreak could expand, especially after a case was confirmed 70 kilometers from Bulape. He highlighted a moderate risk of cross-border spread, particularly to neighboring Angola.

Otim also emphasized the urgency of the situation, warning that delays in response could make containment far more difficult. Aid workers have expressed concern over reduced foreign assistance and weakened international support structures.