Frontline workers in DRC receive Ervebo vaccine amid growing Ebola outbreak

Health workers in DR Congo received the Avivo vaccine on Friday as the country's worst ever Ebola outbreak continues to spread. Avivo is effective against the Zaire strain of Ebola. Authorities hope it will offer some protection against the Bundibugyo strain driving this outbreak. After getting the vaccine, it actually hurts a little, but I feel a little safer, and I'm happy to have received it because I know it gives me some reassurance since I'm always around patients. As well as being without any approved vaccine for Bundibugyo, the outbreak is spreading under extremely difficult conditions including conflict, displacement and distrust from some communities. One of the biggest challenges is the community have to come forward because we We still have a big percent of people dying in the community, meaning they've not come up to ask for help. So today we spoke with the Assembly and we continue to engage with the community. As of Wednesday, the DRC has reported more than 9,000 cases of Ebola, including some 4,300 deaths. But more than 2,000 people have recovered. Yes, we don't have vaccine, we don't have licensed therapeutic, but we have life-supporting services. Like if your blood has gone down, we can give you blood. If your oxygen is not very good, we can give you oxygen. If you have an infection, we can give you antibiotics. So the chances of survival, they are not theory. The DRC has received 70,000 doses of Avivo. Most are for frontline workers, but 20,000 doses will be used in a clinical trial to test its use against Bundibugyo.