MSF urges global health officials to widen Ebola vaccine access
The medical charity says DR Congo requested 500,000 doses of Ervebo, but only 70,000 were released.
Medical charity Doctors Without Borders is calling on global health officials to broaden the use of an existing Ebola vaccine, Ervebo, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). This request stems from reports that the vaccine may offer protection against the Bundibugyo strain, which has claimed over 5,300 lives in the country's most extensive outbreak to date. Ervebo, developed by Merck, was specifically designed for a different Ebola strain and currently faces restrictions on its application.
The DR Congo government had initially requested 500,000 doses of Ervebo, but only 70,000 were granted. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises limiting Ervebo's use to Bundibugyo to research studies, as its effectiveness remains unproven. However, Doctors Without Borders argues that early indications of decreased infections and fatalities among previously vaccinated individuals justify a wider distribution.
To achieve a larger release from the global stockpile, approval from the WHO's vaccine advisers is required, with their meeting scheduled for the following week.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
