Vaccines central to efforts to head off latest Ebola outbreak
Ring vaccination strategy could halt disease in its tracks provided health systems can cope
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has started to vaccinate high-risk populations against the Ebola virus following a fresh outbreak of the disease – the ninth Ebola outbreak in the country. The vaccine has yet to be licensed but was found safe to use in trials in 2016.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 53 suspected, probable and confirmed Ebola cases and 26 deaths as of 29 May in the DRC. Most of the cases are in Bikoro, a remote rural town, but there are four confirmed cases in Mbandaka, a city with one million people and a transport hub on the River Congo, prompting fears that the virus could spread further.