DR Congo to receive 70,000 Ebola vaccine doses as outbreak kills nearly 2,500

The World Health Organization announced that its stockpile of Ebola virus disease vaccines is being dispatched to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the country confronts the continent’s deadliest outbreak to date. Since the epidemic began in August 2022, health authorities have recorded nearly 2,500 deaths among more than 5,000 suspected and confirmed cases, making it the largest Ebola episode in the DRC’s history. The WHO’s allocation includes doses of the rVSV‑ZEBOV vaccine, which has been used in previous emergencies, and will be directed to high‑risk zones identified by the national response team.

The vaccine distribution is part of a broader strategy that combines targeted ring‑vaccination, enhanced surveillance, and community engagement to curb transmission. International partners, including the United Nations and several non‑governmental organizations, are supporting logistics and cold‑chain management to ensure rapid delivery to remote health centers. Officials expect that the timely use of the vaccine, alongside ongoing treatment and containment measures, will reduce new infections and help bring the outbreak under control in the coming weeks.