Congo launches emergency Ebola vaccination campaign amid record outbreak

The Democratic Republic of Congo launched an emergency vaccination campaign on Thursday, deploying a vaccine approved for a different Ebola strain to protect frontline workers as the country battles its largest and deadliest outbreak on record. The campaign, which began in the eastern city of Kisangani, prioritizes health care providers and direct contacts of confirmed patients with the Ervebo vaccine, even though the current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, for which no licensed vaccine exists.

Health Minister Roger Kamba announced the rollout, stating the vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program. "We have decided to use the Ervebo vaccine to protect first those who are on the front line, therefore our health care providers, but also people who have been in contact with patients," Kamba said. The World Health Organization has approved 70,000 doses of Ervebo for Congo, with more than 50,000 already received. Approximately 50,000 doses are intended for direct protection, while 20,000 will be used in a clinical trial to assess the vaccine's effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, has rapidly escalated. As of August...