DRC launches Ebola vaccination campaign as outbreak continues to spread

Residents of Kisangani have been lining up to get vaccinated as the DR Congo races to contain its worst-ever outbreak of Ebola.

The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. But health officials are hoping the Ervebo vaccine, approved for use against other strains of Ebola, will offer some level of protection.

Jérôme Bonui Boliaka is head of the Kisangani Nurses' Association:

"By getting this vaccine, I am building antibodies in my body and creating a reserve of protection.

Healthcare and other frontline workers were among the first to receive the shot as the vaccination campaign got underway.

"It is our duty to care for patients," says doctor Jean-Louis Etukumalo, "so I must get vaccinated against Ebola virus disease to help save lives.”

Eastern DRC has been battling the Ebola outbreak since mid-May. More than 5,600 cases have already been confirmed, including more than 2,700 deaths.

The country is due to receive a total of 70,000 doses of the vaccine.