The vaccination campaign began Saturday in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in northeastern DR Congo, which health officials have identified as the epicenter of the rapidly spreading outbreak, Al Jazeera reported.
The campaign, backed by the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders, will also cover North Kivu, where health authorities have reported a sharp rise in cases.
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Around 50,000 healthcare and other frontline workers are expected to receive the Ervebo vaccine, which was developed to protect against the Zaire strain of Ebola.
However, the current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, and Ervebo has not been specifically licensed for use against it.
The effectiveness of the vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus will be monitored among about 20,000 recipients for up to one year as part of an ongoing clinical trial.
“We don’t know to what degree it might be effective against the Bundibugyo strain,” Steve Ahuka, a Congolese health official involved in the Ebola response, said.
Dr. Jeannot Elua, speaking at a health facility in Bunia, described the vaccination as beneficial while acknowledging that some healthcare workers had already received the vaccine during previous Ebola outbreaks.
WHO experts have said early evidence, particularly from animal studies, suggests Ervebo could provide some protection against the strain driving the current outbreak.
Clinical trials are continuing as researchers seek to develop a licensed vaccine specifically targeting the Bundibugyo strain. There is currently no licensed vaccine or proven treatment specifically for the latest outbreak.
The WHO said in August that 70,000 doses of Ervebo had been approved for use in DR Congo under a compassionate-use program, which permits the use of a medical product in serious disease situations when it has not been specifically approved for that particular application.
According to the latest figures from local authorities, the outbreak has infected at least 7,541 people and killed 3,639 since May, while 1,823 people have recovered.
WHO officials have reported what they called encouraging signs that transmission could be slowing. However, Doctors Without Borders warned Friday that there was not yet clear evidence that the outbreak was under control.
