Congo starts Ebola vaccination for Bunia health workers amid surging outbreak

Congo on Saturday began vaccinating healthcare workers against Ebola in Bunia, the centre of what authorities describe as the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history. Front-line staff in the response are being prioritised as the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, continues to spread in difficult conditions.

Health authorities said the rollout is targeting the Bunia and Mongbwalu zones in Ituri province, two of the worst-affected areas. The campaign in Ituri and North Kivu is expected to cover 20,000 front-line workers over six to nine months, using the Ervebo vaccine under a compassionate-use programme while clinical trials continue.

Ituri's military governor, Maj Gen Gaby Kasongo Mulumba, said the move was aimed at protecting those most at risk. "Our collective duty is to protect life. Launching this vaccination drive for front-line staff in Ituri is not an arbitrary choice, as these workers are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response," he said.

As of Saturday, Congo had recorded 7,541 confirmed cases, including 3,639 deaths, according to government figures. A total of 1,823 people have recovered. The outbreak is concentrated in Ituri province and is the deadliest among the country's 17 recorded Ebola outbreaks.

The outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, driven by insecurity, displacement, a health workers' strike and heavy population movement. The World Health Organisation has said the situation remains out of control and could surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which killed more than 11,000 people, mainly in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Dr Jeannot Elua, whom The Associated Press met at a health facility in Bunia, said the vaccine was "beneficial". "We healthcare workers don't really have a choice: we are going to receive it," he said. "Some people here had already received the previous vaccine. I received it myself, because it was mandatory." Another front-line health worker, Dr Jean Paul Uzele, who was vaccinated with Ervebo during the 10th Ebola outbreak, said it was unclear to him whether he should be vaccinated again. "If it arrives, we will receive it too," he said. "But the question is whether we need to be vaccinated a second time."

Last month, Ervebo was rolled out in Kisangani in Tshopo province, with the campaign expected to cover 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces. The World Health Organisation said last month that 70,000 doses of Ervebo had been approved for use in Congo. Of these, about 50,000 doses are meant for front-line and health workers, while 20,000 will be used in a clinical trial to study whether the vaccine protects against the Bundibugyo virus, which has no licensed vaccine or treatment.

Ervebo is licensed for Ebola virus disease caused by the Zaire strain, a different and more common type of Ebola virus. Health authorities said it could offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus because the two viruses are related, but whether it can prevent illness in people infected with Bundibugyo Ebola is still being studied.

The vaccination drive in Bunia and Mongbwalu is part of Congo's effort to protect front-line workers as it tackles a deadly outbreak in Ituri and North Kivu, while studies continue on whether the Ervebo vaccine can help against the Bundibugyo virus.