The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has received 70,000 doses of an approved Ebola vaccine as authorities battle the country’s deadliest outbreak on record.
The Ervebo vaccine has been proven safe and effective against the Zaire strain of Ebola, but it has not been approved specifically for the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the current outbreak.
The doses were released on Monday by the International Coordination Group for Vaccine Provision following a request from the DRC government.
According to the WHO, 20,000 doses will be used in a Phase 3 clinical trial to assess whether Ervebo can protect against the Bundibugyo strain, while another 50,000 doses will be provided to frontline and healthcare workers.
The allocation is in line with recommendations from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), the UN health agency said.
The DRC has recorded more than 5,000 Ebola cases, including more than 2,300 deaths, since the outbreak was declared three months ago, making it the country’s deadliest Ebola outbreak to date.
Declared on 15 May, the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak is believed to have been spreading for several weeks before it was officially detected.
The outbreak has affected areas in the country’s north and east, where limited government presence, weak healthcare infrastructure and the activities of armed groups have complicated the response.
Ebola is transmitted through contact with infected bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever. The disease has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa over the past five decades.
There is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain.
Earlier this month, WHO vaccine experts recommended a full-scale human trial of Ervebo, the only currently approved Ebola vaccine, to determine whether it can provide cross-protection against the strain.
Ervebo has demonstrated strong protection against the more common Zaire strain. WHO experts said early evidence, particularly from animal studies, suggests the vaccine could also offer some protection against Bundibugyo.