DR. Congo To Introduce Second Ebola Vaccine

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are planning to introduce a second Ebola vaccine to help control an outbreak that has killed more than 2,100 people.

Recall that , former Health Minister Oly Ilunga had opposed its usage,saying it had not been proved effective.

But DR Congo health officials said the vaccine, developed by Johnson & Johnson, is safer and good for consumption .

This outbreak, in the east of DR Congo, is the second largest on record.

The largest was the epidemic that ravaged parts of West Africa from 2014 to 2016, killing more than 11,000 people.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will complement the vaccine manufactured by Merck which has been administered to 225,000 people in the past year, according to a government statement.

But DR Congo’s Ebola response team have not yet said when it will be introduced.

Addressing concerns over safety, the team said, in a statement quoted by Reuters, that “it is a vaccine that other countries already use. Why can’t we use it… to protect our population?”

Leading health experts have said that the second vaccine is safe and could be an important tool in holding back the spread of the virus.