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The WHO and its partners announced that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will receive 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine in response to an Ebola outbreak. The development highlights the role of vaccination in containing outbreaks of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

Ervebo Vaccine

• Ervebo is a licensed vaccine against Ebola Virus Disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus.
• It is a replication-competent, live, attenuated recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vaccine.
• The vaccine uses a modified VSV as a vector and contains a protein from the Zaire Ebola virus.
• It does not contain the complete Ebola virus and therefore cannot cause Ebola disease.
• Following vaccination, the Ebola viral protein stimulates the immune system to develop a protective immune response.
  • Manufacturer: Merck
  • Type: Live, attenuated recombinant VSV vaccine
  • Administration: For active immunisation of individuals 1 year and older
  • Protection:Specifically against Zaire ebolavirus
  • It does not protect against other orthoebolavirus species or orthomarburgviruses.

Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)

Ebola is a severe and often fatal viral disease caused by viruses of the genus Orthoebolavirus. It affects humans and non-human primates and was first identified in 1976 in southern Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ebola is often associated with viral haemorrhagic fever, as severe disease can affect blood-vessel integrity and the body's clotting system, potentially causing internal bleeding.

Transmission:

• Initial spillover can occur from infected wild animals such as fruit bats, porcupines and non-human primates.
• Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with blood, secretions, organs or other body fluids of infected persons and contaminated surfaces/materials.
• Ebola is not transmitted through the air.

Incubation period:2–21 days (typically around 5–15 days).

Major symptoms include fever, diarrhoea, vomiting and bleeding, with severe cases potentially resulting in death.