KINSHASA, Aug. 20 — The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is set to use the Ervebo vaccine to contain the Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, after 70,000 doses were allocated, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday.
Ervebo is licensed and recommended for Ebola virus disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus, but it is not yet known whether the vaccine can protect humans against the Bundibugyo virus. Early laboratory and animal studies suggest that it may offer some protection, according to the two health agencies.
They noted that 20,000 doses would be used in a Phase 3 clinical trial to assess the vaccine’s impact against the Bundibugyo virus, with the remaining 50,000 for frontline and health workers in line with current WHO recommendations.
The trial could provide crucial evidence on whether a vaccine developed against a different Ebola virus species can also help curb the current outbreak and inform its possible wider use, WHO and Africa CDC said. The DRC government said late in its latest Ebola situation report that vaccination has become a “central pillar” of efforts to protect populations exposed to the virus.
It said 2,000 Ervebo doses were already available in the province of Tshopo and that a request had been made for an additional 500,000 doses to expand vaccination coverage. The WHO and Africa CDC announcement concerned an initial allocation of 70,000 doses from the global stockpile following a request submitted by the DRC government last week.
The agencies stressed that people offered Ervebo, whether through the clinical trial or otherwise, should be informed of the potential benefits, risks and limitations of its use against the Bundibugyo virus and provide informed consent.
According to official figures released Wednesday, the DRC had recorded 5,208 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, including 2,476 deaths. Another 1,115 patients have recovered, while 730 remain in isolation or hospital care.
Cases have been reported in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Haut-Uele and Tshopo provinces. The current outbreak, declared by the DRC authorities on May 15, has become the largest and deadliest Ebola outbreak ever recorded in the country and the second-largest globally. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
