The experimental Ebola vaccine is effective. In Congo, where the virus is currently raging and where more than 900 people were infected last year alone, more than 100,000 people have already been immunized. And the vaccine, which is still not officially approved, but as oneoptional protective measureoffered seems to work. An evaluation of the vaccination campaign, which was prepared by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the African country's research institute, is said to have clearly proven the effectiveness of the vaccination.
Could vaccination end Congo's latest Ebola outbreak, which doctors say is the worst in the republic? After the vaccine was given to more than 20,000 people in 2014to protect against diseaseThe World Health Organization also decided this year to offer vaccination as an optional preventative measure. The ring vaccination proved to be particularly effective, with medical professionals identifying all contacts of patients with Ebola. The contacts of these contacts were also listed and then everyone was vaccinated. None of these contacts became ill, compared to unvaccinated people who became infected with the disease. The effectiveness of the vaccine is therefore more than 97 percent.
Unfortunately, vaccination is not possible in the eastern parts of the country, where armed opponents of the Congolese president prevent access to certain villages and towns. As a result, more than 600 people died of Ebola there in 2018 alone.
TheEbola vaccine as a drughad confirmed the promising results of studies conducted five years ago. The vaccine was developed and manufactured in Canadian laboratories and then delivered to the World Health Organization.
