The Ebola Vaccine Preparedness Initiative offers a training programme to address the different steps from decision-making to administration of the Ebola vaccine with the overall goal of supporting countries for successful introduction of the Ebola vaccine. The initiative is implemented in collaboration with the University of Nairobi, Kenya Paediatric Association (KPA) and the Ministry of Health in Kenya.
The initiative has been handed over to our partner Keprecon (Kenya Paediatric Research Consortium) in Kenya.
Below you will find a weekly selection of news and updates related to Ebola virus disease and Ebola vaccines and other relevant papers or videos.
Weekly updates
Week of 31/05/2021
Joining forces to tackle the Ebola Infodemic in Guinea: https://www.afro.who.int/news
Week of 24/05/2021
WHO has developed online learning resources on Ebola. The resources are available on OpenWHO.org and the materials are available in English and French and some in Lingala and Kiswahili. Learn more.
Week of 17/05/2021
Ebola vaccination starts in Sierra Leone to prevent new outbreak: https://www.afro.who.int/news
The need for a new strategy for Ebola vaccination: Bausch DG. Need for new strategy for Ebola vaccination. Nature Medicine 2021; 27.
Week of 10/05/2021
End of the 12th Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, just three months after the first case was reported in North Kivu. Read more.
Week of 26/04/2021
Please watch here a recently released video on Immunobridging – Ebola vaccine.
Sierra Leone receives initial Ebola vaccine supply to bolster prevention:
https://reliefweb.int/report/sierra-leone.pdf
Week of 19/04/2021
Guinea situation report as of 15 April 2021 (in French):
https://reliefweb.int/rapport de situation 15-04-2021.pdf
Ebola virus outbreak preparedness. Read the recent publication of Gupta et al. Ebola virus outbreak preparedness plan for developing Nations: Lessons learnt from affected countries. Journal of Infection and Public Health 2021; 14: 293-305.
Week of 12/04/2021
The Meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization (22-24 March 2021) discussed the use of the Ebola Vaccines. Three issues were addressed by SAGE: (1) Potential recommendation for off- label use; (2) Potential recommendation on the preventive use of Ebola vaccines; and (3) Potential recommendations on the strategies to ensure equitable and fair access to Ebola vaccines.
Read the highlights from the SAGE recommendations here.
Week of 29/03/2021
Importance of vaccination of contacts of Ebola virus disease survivors.
Doshi RH et al. Vaccination of contacts of Ebola virus disease survivors to prevent further transmission. The Lancet Global Health Dec 2020; 8.
Read more on the safety and immunogenicity of the two available Ebola vaccines:
Pollard AJ et al. Safety and immunogenicity of a two-dose heterologous Ad26.ZEBOV and MVS-BN-Filo Ebola vaccine regimen in adults in Europe (EBOVAC2): a randomized, observer-blind, participant-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2021 ; 21.
Week of 22/03/2021
Learn more on Ebola virus vaccines:
Venkatraman N et al. Vaccines against Ebola virus. Vaccine 2018: 36.
One of the Ebola vaccines uses a heterologous vaccine regimen. Learn more on this regimen and its acceptability and implementation considerations:
Greter H et al. Heterologous vaccine regimen: stakeholder acceptance and implementation considerations. Vaccine 2021; 39: 580-587.
Week of 15/03/2021
Did the new Ebola outbreak in Guinea started by a person infected 5 years ago?
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021
Guinea situation report as of 13 March 2021 (in French):
https://reliefweb.int/rapport de situation 13-03-2021.pdf
Week of 08/03/2021
More than 1,600 people have received Ebola vaccinations in Guinea:
https://news.un.org/en/story/2021
Week of 01/03/2021
Guinea started Ebola vaccination on 23 February 2021 to control the new outbreak. More information on:
https://www.afro.who.int/news/ebola-vaccination-starts-guinea-curb-new-outbreak
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-ebola-guinea
Learn more on Ebola Virus Disease: Jacob ST et al. Ebola virus disease. Nature Reviews Disease Primers 2020; 6: 13.pdf
Week of 22/02/2021
On 14 February 2021, the Ministry of Health of Guinea informed WHO of a cluster of Ebola Virus Disease.
More information on: https://www.youtube.com/watch
What is Ebola Virus Disease: https://www.youtube.com/watch