Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo approved use of an experimental Ebola vaccine to help stem the spread of the deadly virus. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says he received the okay from the DR-Congo on Monday.
The vaccine, developed by Merck in 2016, has proven safe and effective in human trials, but it is still experimental and must be kept at -60 to -80 degrees Celsius (-76°F to -112°F).
The shot, which was tested in Guinea in 2015 at the end of a vast Ebola outbreak in West Africa, is designed for use in a so-called “ring vaccination” approach.
This would mean that when a new Ebola case is diagnosed, all people who might have been in recent contact with them are traced and vaccinated to try and prevent the disease’s spread.
The WHO said earlier on Monday that the Democratic Republic of Congo had reported 39 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of Ebola between April 4 and May 13, including 19 deaths.
Vaccinations could begin by next Monday.
