The World Health Organisation (WHO) said 20 000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine had been allocated to the research programme in Ituri province, the centre of the outbreak.
The trial aims to determine whether Ervebo can provide meaningful protection against Ebola Bundibugyo virus while protecting people with the greatest risk of exposure.
Ervebo has previously proved highly effective against Ebola Zaire virus. However, the effectiveness of the vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain remains uncertain.
A WHO-backed advisory panel recommended that Ervebo initially be administered only as part of research. People receiving the vaccine should be clearly informed that its effectiveness against the Bundibugyo virus remains unknown.
Limited evidence suggests the vaccine may provide some protection.
A total of 70 000 doses have been made available to DRC authorities for the outbreak response and related research.
More than 7 600 infections and 3 670 deaths have been confirmed, according to the latest health authority data. Nearly 80% of infections were recorded in Ituri.
The outbreak was confirmed in May and has since spread across seven provinces.
Response operations face severe challenges because of continuing conflict and displacement in eastern DRC.
WHO is supporting DRC authorities with disease surveillance, contact tracing, clinical preparedness, treatment capacity and the delivery of medical supplies.
The UN agency is also supporting public awareness and cross-border preparedness to reduce the risk of further transmission. “Community engagement will be key,” WHO said.
“It is only when communities are engaged in the response that such outbreaks are brought under control.”
Ebola is a severe and frequently fatal disease affecting people and other primates. The virus can pass from infected wild animals to humans before spreading through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated materials.
WHO estimates that the average fatality rate is about 50%, although rates have ranged from 25% to 90% during previous outbreaks.
The organisation said early diagnosis and treatment can improve survival, while surveillance and rapid contact tracing remain essential for containing transmission.
The 2014-2016 West African outbreak was the largest recorded since Ebola was identified in 1976. The outbreak began in Guinea before spreading to Sierra Leone and Liberia.
–UN/ChannelAfrica–
