The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from the United Nation’s (UN) international vaccine coordination group (ICG) to protect frontline communities against the Ebola virus disease, according to UN News. The shipment follows approval from the ICG after the Government in Kinshasa requested doses from the global Ebola vaccine stockpile last week. The Ervebo vaccine was initially developed to target the Zaire ebolavirus, which caused the 2014–2016 West African epidemic, the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record. The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomed the allocation in a Thursday press release. The move aims to bolster response efforts as the current outbreak in the DRC continues to escalate.
The Ebola outbreak, declared on 15 May, has become the country’s deadliest on record, with 2,325 deaths reported. Although local authorities have not updated the figure since Monday, the total number of cases climbed to 5,021 according to data released on Wednesday. More than 160 health workers have contracted Ebola and 40 have died, UN Senior Ebola Coordinator Julien Harneis wrote on Thursday. Ongoing conflict in eastern DRC between the Congolese Government and the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group, along with multiple other armed groups, has hindered efforts to stop the virus’s spread. The unrest has blocked medical teams from reaching conflict zones, forced the destruction or closure of health centers, and displaced thousands.
WHO stressed that it remains unknown whether the Ervebo vaccine will work against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. “Early laboratory and animal data suggest it may provide some protection,” WHO wrote, adding that the clinical trial is expected to provide important new evidence for policymakers. Given the fast-growing nature of the outbreak, the ICG will allocate 20,000 doses for a clinical trial in the DRC and the other 50,000 doses to health workers. This means some residents of affected areas could receive the vaccine outside the trial. According to clinical trials, severe side effects from the Ervebo vaccine are very rare.
According to news reports, the M23 armed group has touted its ability to mount an Ebola response separate from Kinshasa, including by setting up its own health administration to supervise labs and, the group claims, conduct disease surveillance. On Thursday, M23 reportedly announced that it will suspend shared taxi and boat trips to and from Ebola-affected Government-held zones to prevent the spread of Ebola in territory it controls. The UN has sanctioned and strongly condemned the M23 militia, citing atrocities against civilians including forced recruitment, mass killings and sexual violence. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus welcomed the release on Thursday, calling the move “an important example of global solidarity in action.” Contact-tracing and safe burials remain nearly impossible in conflict-affected areas.