The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched an Ebola vaccination campaign in Kisangani as health authorities step up efforts to contain an outbreak that has continued to spread.
Residents in the city have been queuing to receive the vaccine, with healthcare workers and other frontline personnel among the first to be inoculated.
The outbreak is being driven by the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. However, health officials are hoping the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for protection against other Ebola strains, will provide some level of protection.
Jérôme Bonui Boliaka, head of the Kisangani Nurses’ Association, said vaccination would help strengthen his protection against the virus.
“By getting this vaccine, I am building antibodies in my body and creating a reserve of protection,” he said.
Doctor Jean-Louis Etukumalo, another frontline worker who received the vaccine, said protecting health workers was essential to saving patients.
“It is our duty to care for patients, so I must get vaccinated against Ebola virus disease to help save lives,” he said.
The Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC has been ongoing since mid-May and has placed significant pressure on the country’s health system.
More than 5,600 cases have reportedly been confirmed, including over 2,700 deaths, as authorities race to contain the spread of the virus.
The DRC is expected to receive a total of 70,000 doses of the vaccine as part of efforts to strengthen its response to the outbreak.
