Ebola vaccination begins in DR Congo's Kasai Province: WHO

Health workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have begun administering Ebola vaccines in Kasai Province after authorities declared an outbreak of the deadly disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Sunday.

The rollout started in Bulape health zone, one of the outbreak hotspots. An initial 400 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, taken from a stockpile in Kinshasa, were delivered to the area, with more doses expected in the coming days, the WHO said in a statement.

The ring vaccination strategy is being used, targeting people who had contact with confirmed patients as well as frontline responders.

The Ervebo vaccine protects against the Zaire ebolavirus species, identified as the cause of the current outbreak. To boost supplies, the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision has approved the shipment of around 45,000 additional doses to the Congo.

WHO said it has deployed 48 experts to assist with surveillance, clinical care, infection prevention and logistics. Treatment courses of Mab114, a monoclonal antibody therapy, have also been sent to Bulape.

The agency assesses the risk level as high nationally, moderate regionally, and low globally.