The Democratic Republic of Congo has been allocated 70,000 doses of Merck’s Ervebo vaccine for Ebola, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, as the country attempts to contain its biggest ever outbreak of the deadly disease.
Here are some details:
Last week Congo had requested a release of Ervebo vaccines from the global Ebola virus disease vaccine stockpile, managed by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, according to WHO.
The health agency said the group allocated 70,000 Ervebo doses for Congo, of which 20,000 shots will be used in a late-stage trial to understand the impact of the vaccine on the Bundibugyo virus.
The ongoing outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments.
