A rollout of Ebola vaccinations began in Congo on Thursday as health officials move to contain the country's most fatal outbreak on record.
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officials → begin → record
According to Health Minister Roger Kamba, the immunisation drive was officially launched in Kisangani, the capital of the country's eastern Tshopo province.
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drive → accord → province
Medical staff and additional personnel operating on the front lines of the containment effort are among the first recipients of the jab.
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staff → operate → jab
Kamba said: "We have decided to use the Ervebo vaccine to protect first those who are on the front line, therefore our health care providers, but also people who have been in contact with patients."
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who → say → patients
The outbreak has so far affected six provinces in Congo, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele.
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outbreak → affect → Ituri
As of Tuesday, the country had recorded 5,713 confirmed cases, including 2,744 deaths, according to government figures.
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country → record → figures
The overall death rate among confirmed cases was about 48%.
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rate → confirm → cases
The outbreak in eastern Congo is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements.
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outbreak → spread → insecurity
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
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which → say → Guinea
More than 50,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine have been received, according to Congo’s state news agency.
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doses → receive → agency
WHO said last week that 70,000 doses of Ervebo had been approved for use in Congo.
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doses → say → Congo
About 50,000 doses are intended for frontline and health workers, while another 20,000 will be used in a clinical trial to study whether the vaccine protects against Bundibugyo Ebola, the agency said.
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agency → intend → Ebola
The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo type of Ebola virus.
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outbreak → cause → virus
Ervebo, however, is approved to protect against a different type, known as Zaire ebolavirus.
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Ervebo → approve → ebolavirus
The vaccine is being used under a compassionate-use program, which allows a medical product to be used in a serious disease situation even though it has not been specifically approved for that particular use.
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it → use → use
Health authorities said Ervebo could offer some protection against the Bundibugyo virus because the two viruses are related.
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viruses → say → virus
But whether the vaccine can actually prevent illness in people infected with Bundibugyo Ebola is still being studied.
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prevent → prevent → Ebola
Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC’s director for research, clinical trials and innovation, said data will be collected during the vaccination campaign to measure how well the vaccine works.
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vaccine → say → campaign
The campaign is expected to cover 14 health zones in Tshopo, Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele provinces.
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campaign → expect → provinces
Kamba strongly encouraged health workers to get vaccinated, saying the vaccine could protect them from the disease and help prevent them from carrying the virus into their communities.
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vaccine → encourage → communities
The Aporia
