The WHO has urgently allocated 20,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine for a vaccination programme in Ituri Province, the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC. The aim of the clinical trial is to accurately assess the vaccine’s effectiveness against the Bundibugyo virus variant. The medical community is eagerly awaiting the results, as no specific vaccine or effective clinical intervention is currently available for the Bundibugyo strain.
Around 20,000 participants will receive the trial vaccine and be monitored for one year. Those on the vaccination list are mainly healthcare workers and frontline personnel in Ituri Province. If the trial is successful, the vaccination programme will be expanded to Ituri and North Kivu provinces, covering around 50,000 frontline health workers.
Ervebo was developed primarily to protect against the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. Therefore, health authorities cannot yet confirm its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain, which is responsible for the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak. WHO experts said preliminary data, particularly from animal trials, indicate that Ervebo may provide a certain degree of protection.
To date, a total of 70,000 vaccine doses have been delivered to the DRC authorities to support the response to the outbreak and related research projects.
According to the latest figures from local authorities, since the outbreak began in May, the DRC has recorded more than 7,500 cases and 3,639 deaths, while 1,823 people have recovered and returned to their communities. Although the WHO has previously noted signs that transmission may be slowing, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said there is no clear evidence that the outbreak is under control. MSF’s caution is clearly warranted, given the rising number of children dying from Ebola.
A report released by the WHO Regional Office for Africa highlights a troubling reality: the proportion of children dying from Ebola is significantly higher than that of adults. Although children account for nearly 25% of all confirmed cases, this vulnerable group represents almost one-third of all deaths. In particular, the fatality rate among children under five has exceeded 60%, compared with less than 30% among adults.
Dr Daniel Youkee, WHO’s lead for Ebola case management, warned that the fatality rate among children under five infected with the Bundibugyo strain is significantly higher than among adolescents and adults. Dr Chaka Keita, a paediatrician with the health organisation ALIMA, which operates five field treatment centres in Ituri Province, said caring for young patients requires highly specialised medical staff, as well as specialised equipment and drug dosages that are currently in very short supply.
In addition, efforts to contain the outbreak and impose strict isolation measures are causing severe psychological trauma among children, making treatment more challenging. Although the DRC Government has welcomed the news that the Ebola outbreak has reached its peak and is under control, the risk of further spread remains, with new outbreaks emerging and the virus having spread to a seventh province.
Among the affected areas, 10 have reported no new cases for at least 21 days. Transmission in the epicentre of Ituri has also slowed. Nevertheless, the DRC authorities have warned against complacency and called for stepped-up contact tracing, particularly in areas where new clusters have emerged.
