The vaccine was delivered from Guinea in 2,000 doses as part of the “ring approach,” in which persons who have come into contact with a confirmed Ebola patient, as well as first responders and health personnel, are given the vaccine.
Guinea also sent approximately 3000 Johnson & Johnson vaccination shots. In locations where active transmission is not present, these are utilized as booster shots.
WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said that the Ebola vaccine is a critical tool in the fight against the virus so it’s a top priority to move quickly and start protecting people who are at high risk, who called the quick response “remarkable” and said it “shows that with effective sub-regional solidarity we can quickly take measures to extinguish lethal infections that can kill millions of people.
Unconfirmed Guinea connection
After the Ebola virus was identified in a patient who traveled by road from Guinea to Abidjan, the epidemic was proclaimed in Côte d’Ivoire. Although no deaths have been reported, one probable case and nine contacts have been discovered and are being watched.
Ebola vaccination on high-risk groups begins three days after the outbreak is declared in Côte d’Ivoire. There is no evidence that the new outbreak in Côte d’Ivoire is linked to the one in Guinea, and more analysis and genome sequencing are being done to see whether there is any link.
Controlling Ebola outbreaks
The WHO is sending experts to join their country-based counterparts to help ramp up infection prevention and control, diagnostics, contact tracing, treatment, community mobilization, and cross-border surveillance to support Côte d’Ivoire’s efforts to control the outbreak, which is the country’s first since 1994. The UN body is also determining whether more immunizations are required to combat the disease.
In Guinea, health officials are increasing surveillance, conducting additional investigations, identifying contacts for immunization, and preparing an Ebola treatment center.
Since the Ebola outbreak in Guinea was declared earlier this year, WHO has been assisting six countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, in their efforts to prepare for an outbreak.
Support was provided for disease surveillance, screenings at border crossing points and in high-risk populations, as well as the establishment of fast response teams, the improvement of testing and treatment capacity, and the reinforcement of community outreach and collaboration.
After the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire has become the third country to see an outbreak this year.
