DRC: the second Ebola vaccine will be used from mid-October 2019

The second Ebola vaccine will be used on an experimental basis from mid-October 2019. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), which made the official announcement on Monday, September 23, 2019 in Geneva, Congolese authorities have indicated their intention to test this product manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson.

« The authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in deciding to deploy the second experimental vaccine to extend protection against this deadly virus, have once again shown leadership and determination to end this epidemic as soon as possible, » said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

This vaccine will be administered to targeted at-risk populations in areas where there is no active transmission of the Ebola virus. The last assessment made on 17 September reported 2,103 deaths due to Ebola for 3,145 cases, including 3,034 confirmed cases and 111 probable cases.

Merck vaccine administered to 223,000 citizens

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will complement the current vaccine (Merck), which has proven to be very effective and safe, and has helped protect more than 223,000 people. It will continue to be administered to all persons at high risk of Ebola infection, including those who have been in contact with a person who has been confirmed to have Ebola.

« The evaluation of the second Ebola vaccine will help us ensure that we have an additional tool to prevent the spread of the epidemic and also a potential tool to protect populations before epidemics reach high-risk areas, » said Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, Regional Director of the WHO Office for Africa.

973 patients successfully treated

New therapeutic treatments and better use of treatment protocols have also saved many lives. To date, 973 citizens have been successfully treated and released from Ebola treatment centres.

Advice received from experts last May was applied by the Congolese Government, always taking into account the needs and preferences of the community. If the Merck vaccine is very effective, says Dr. Tedros in a statement, a second vaccine will increase the number of people protected against the virus.

Vaccines and treatments are just some of the tools, » he added. The key to ending the outbreak is community ownership. With the full engagement of communities and the mobilization of all partners, we can and will stop this outbreak. »

As a reminder, last May, the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts published new recommendations to address the difficulties associated with the implementation of Ebola vaccination in the DRC. In particular, he suggested « adjusting the dose of the Merck vaccine » and introducing the vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson.

The challenge is to evaluate this second vaccine « according to appropriate protocols, to modify strategies when insecurity makes access to the population difficult and to increase the number of people vaccinated in communities with continuous transmission, sometimes by vaccinating entire villages« .

Harris KASONGO