Democratic Republic of Congo receives 16,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine to combat deadliest Ebola outbreak

(Central News Agency, Kinshasa, comprehensive foreign news report on the 22nd) AFP reporters witnessed on the spot that more than 16,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine arrived in the Democratic Republic of the Congo late last night. The country is currently facing the deadliest Ebola outbreak in its history.

Agence France-Presse reported that the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, but the virus is believed to have started spreading weeks ago.

The epidemic has killed thousands and mainly affected regions in the north and east, where state control is weak, medical infrastructure is severely lacking and numerous armed groups have roamed for decades.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on the 20th that the Democratic Republic of the Congo will receive a total of 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine produced in Germany.

The vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical company Merck has been approved to prevent the Zaire virus strain, but it is not against the Bundibugyo virus strain currently circulating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

WHO experts are still unsure whether Ervebo is protective against the Bandibugyo strain, but preliminary animal trial data suggests the vaccine can provide some protection.

According to the WHO's statement on the 20th, 20,000 doses of this batch of 70,000 doses of vaccine will be used for clinical trials, and 50,000 doses will be given priority to the country's "frontline and medical staff."