More than 16,000 doses of Ervebo vaccine arrive in Ebola-hit DRC

KINSHASA, Aug 22: More than 16,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) late Friday, an AFP journalist saw, as the country faces the deadliest Ebola outbreak in its history.

The DRC's 17th Ebola outbreak, which has killed thousands of people, was declared on May 15 but is thought to have been spreading for several weeks prior.

It has hit regions in the north and east where the presence of the state is weak, health infrastructure is largely lacking and myriad armed groups have roamed for decades.

The World Health Organization announced on Thursday that the DRC would receive a total of 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine, produced in Germany.

The vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company Merck, is approved against the Zaire strain of the virus, but not against the Bundibugyo strain currently circulating in the country.�" AFP