in a bid to ensure protection against Ebola Virus Disease, the Ministry of Health, through the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), with support from its partners, is planning to embark on a nationwide Ebola vaccination roll-out campaign, targeting frontline health workers, Manager, Expanded Programme of Immunization, Ministry of Health, Dr. Desmond Maada Kangbai said.
Dr. Kangbai reiterated that the vaccine roll-out is scheduled to start from 1st– 15th December 2024 and will target frontline workers, including healthcare workers, security personnel, immigration officers, bike riders, among others, adding that the strategy is to get the targeted groups vaccinated against the Ebola virus diseases, as they are at high risk of contracting the disease, based on the nature of their job.
The EPI Manager continued to say that the Ebola vaccine protects against the Zaire strain, which is the most common and virulent type of the Ebola viruses, will be administered in Sierra Leone. “One dose of the vaccine will be administered for FREE across the country to the target groups for greater protection” Dr. Kangbai assured.
Talking about the efficacy and safety of the Ebola vaccine/marklate, Dr. Kangbai affirmed that the Ervebo Ebola vaccine was used in neighboring Guinea in 2015, and in the 2018-2020 outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and proved to be efficacious in protecting people who are exposed to the virus, adding that the vaccine has shown strong efficacy in clinical trials and during outbreak settings, particularly in controlling transmission in ring vaccination strategies, where close contacts of infected individuals are also exposed.
The EPI Manager further stated that just like all other EPI vaccines, the Ervebo Ebola vaccine is prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and approved by the Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone (PBSL).
Ebola primarily affects humans and other primates, and is characterized by fever, severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, and in some cases, internal and external bleeding. The disease has a high fatality rate, if not treated properly, which makes prevention through vaccination the best strategy.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa had devastating effects on health workers in the three countries most affected by the virus. Of the nearly 17, 000 cases of Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone put together, at least 600 were healthcare providers, of which more than half of them died.
Since the first case of Ebola was recorded in Sierra Leone on 24th May 2014, a total number of 8,704 people were infected, and 3,589 died of which 221 were healthcare workers, who tragically lost their lives in the course of their work. This stresses the need for even a robust vaccine roll-out for healthcare workers and other risk population to strengthen them with the much needed protection, especially in outbreak situation.
