The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to receive 70,000 doses of an Ebola vaccine as the country battles its deadliest outbreak on record.
DR Congo receives 70,000 Ebola vaccine doses for outbreak response
Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, Congo DRC, Tuesday, July 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)
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AP
The World Health Organization says the Ervebo vaccine is being released for limited use and a clinical trial, despite being approved only for the Zaire strain of Ebola—not the Bundibugyo strain currently spreading in the DRC.
Of the 70,000 doses, 20,000 will be used in a Phase 3 clinical trial to assess whether the vaccine can protect against the Bundibugyo strain. Another 50,000 doses will go to frontline and health workers.
The outbreak was declared on May 15, and the WHO says the DRC has recorded more than 5,000 cases and over 2,300 deaths in the past three months.
The outbreak is affecting areas where health infrastructure is limited and armed groups remain active.
There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.
WHO experts say early evidence, including animal studies, suggests Ervebo could offer some protection—and the new trial will seek to establish whether that protection extends to humans.