Health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have begun an immunisation campaign in an attempt to halt the spread of an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus.
The experimental vaccine proved effective when used in limited trials during the epidemic which struck West Africa in 2014-16.
At least 26 people are believed to have died in the current outbreak.
Health workers were among the first to receive the vaccine on Monday.
What is Ebola?
It is an infectious illness that causes internal bleeding and often proves fatal.
It can spread rapidly through contact with small amounts of bodily fluid, and its early flu-like symptoms are not always obvious.
More than 11,300 people died in the earlier outbreak in 2014-16.
How serious is the current outbreak?
At least 45 cases of Ebola have been reported, including three health workers, since the outbreak began earlier this month.
The virus has already spread from rural areas to the north-western city of Mbandaka, a major transport hub on the River Congo, where at least four cases have been confirmed.
This has sparked fears that the outbreak could reach the capital, Kinshasa, as well as neighbouring countries.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said it has “strong reason to believe that the outbreak can be brought under control”.
What do we know about the medicine being used?
The vaccine, made by pharmaceutical firm Merck, is not yet licensed, but was effective in limited trials during the West Africa outbreak.
Health care providers and funeral workers are being vaccinated initially, before the programme is extended to more than 500 people who may have come into contact with those infected with the virus, in a so-called “ring vaccination”.
What are the challenges?
One of the most immediate obstacles to the immunisation campaign is the country’s unreliable electricity supplies, as the vaccine needs to be stored at a temperature of between -60 and -80 C.
A further issue is that, as the vaccine has not yet been approved, its use is dependent upon informed and signed consent from all patients. This means that translators will need to be brought in to aid communication between health workers and local communities.
Life in the Ebola zone
“They forbid people to greet by using hands, eating animals from the forest, and people are now living with fear.”
Health Minister Oly Ilunga has announced that all healthcare in the affected areas would be free.
This is the ninth outbreak of Ebola in DR Congo – it was named after the country’s Ebola river.
