Rollout in Ituri and North Kivu

The vaccine rollout began on Saturday in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in the northeastern DRC. The provincial governor, Major-General Gaby Kasongo Mulumba, emphasized that health workers “are particularly exposed and deeply involved in the response.” The operation is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Doctors Without Borders (MSF). It will also target North Kivu, where cases have been rising sharply.

Some 20,000 recipients will be monitored for up to one year to assess the vaccine’s effectiveness against the Bundibugyo strain; Steve Ahuka, a Congolese official involved in the health task force, noted that the vaccine’s effectiveness against this strain is still unknown.

Challenges in Containing the Outbreak

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the epidemic continues to grow and kill, with cases in North Kivu nearly doubling in a week; Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic management at the UN health agency, said “many, many months” remain ahead in the response. The remoteness of the region, high population mobility, and attacks on humanitarian workers are complicating containment efforts.

Dr. Jeannot Elua, a healthcare worker in Bunia, told the Associated Press that the vaccine is “beneficial” and that workers “don’t really have a choice.” Some had already received the previous vaccine before the Bundibugyo strain emerged.

Funding and Vaccine Stock

The WHO and the DRC government have launched a new funding appeal, seeking $1.3 billion for the next six months. This follows an earlier $518 million request from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO in June. The UN also requested $1.1 billion in August for humanitarian assistance.

Approximately 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been sent to the DRC. Meg Doherty, director of science for health at the UN health agency, said more than 3,000 health workers and frontline staff have already been vaccinated in Kisangani. The vaccine is still undergoing trials to determine its effectiveness against the current strain.