The re-emergence of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo has managed to make Jene Rene’s family a little famous than they would have wished for.

Though still mourning the loss of his brother who died ten days ago after suffering from the Ebola disease, Jene Rene is comforted because his family has received the Ebola vaccination and are closer to him than ever.

"My brother’s wife has come to live with my family," said Jene Rene’, who is resident in a community located 20 kilometers north of Mbandaka, the famous first urban center in DR Congo where EVD cases were confirmed during the recent outbreak.

Jean’s family has been considered high risk of the disease since they came in contact with a person with Ebola. As a result, they were among the first beneficiaries of the ongoing ring vaccination which started on 21st May 2018 in Mbandaka.

"Ring vaccination is a new and crucial tool in the control of Ebola," said Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO Assistant Director-General, Emergency Preparedness, and Response said. "I just spent the day out with the vaccination teams in the community, and for the first time in my experience, I saw hope and courage in the face of Ebola and not terror. This is a major achievement for global public health."

The ring vaccination campaign is championed by the National Institute of Biomedical Research and the Ministry of Health of DR Congo, which is equally working in conjunction with other partners, including UNICEF, Médecins sans Frontières, and WHO. While Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance contributed to the operational cost, they also ensured that 300 000 investigational doses are available in case of an outbreak through an agreement with Merck, the Vaccine developer. The vaccine is currently being made available to contacts of confirmed cases, including contacts of contacts, as well as health workers, responders, and people with potential exposure to Ebola.

The Ebola vaccination campaign is expanding to other remote areas. In the past week, the vaccination team has vaccinated over 420 eligible people in rings around the four cases of Ebola which have been confirmed in Mbandaka. Health workers in the area are equally a part of this ongoing vaccination process.

"There is a possibility that there will be new cases confirmed of Ebola in the city," said Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo from the Initiative for Vaccine Research at WHO. "However, it is pleasing to witness that the affected families and communities are accepting our teams and that they have been able to implement ring vaccination."

On 28 May, ring vaccination began in Bikoro, which is located 150 kilometers from the provincial capital. Later this week, vaccinators from Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are expected to start ring vaccination in Iboko health zone, which is the most remote of the three areas where confirmed cases have been reported. 

Source: World Health Organization (WHO)