Ebola

South Sudan is set to vaccinate healthcare workers operating in high risk states bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), against Ebola virus disease (EVD).

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a statement on Monday that the exercise would start in the capital, Juba on Dec. 19.

WHO said at least 60 people, including vaccinators, clinicians, social mobilisers, and logisticians, drawn from four-high risk states were equipped with knowledge and skills on Ebola vaccine administration.

The UN health agency also said that 2,160 doses of the Ebola vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV) have been allocated to South Sudan, to be administered to protect those concerned against Ebola.

Virus-Zaire is the strain that is confirmed in the current outbreak of Ebola in DRC.

Antony Laku, Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) at South Sudan’s Ministry of Health, applauded the WHO intervention to assist South Sudan strengthen its Ebola prevention efforts.

Laku appealed to the targeted health workforce to comply, consent and get vaccinated for self protection and mitigate the risk of possible Ebola infection.

South Sudan is one of the three countries that are neighbours with DRC and are at very high risk of possible Ebola virus importation.

(Xinhua/NAN)