The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that it will launch emergency yellow fever vaccination campaigns along the border between Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo and in the Congolese capital Kinshasa next month.
The
worst yellow fever outbreak in decades has killed about 345 people in
Angola, while Congo declared an epidemic in Kinshasa and two other
provinces on Monday after reporting 67 confirmed cases and more than
1,000 other suspected cases.
In a statement, WHO
said that the campaign would target areas within 75-100 km (45-60 miles)
of the border where there are high levels of movement and trade in
order to create an "immune buffer" and prevent the disease spreading
further.
WHO said that the campaign would begin in
July. There is currently almost no vaccine left in Congo and a new
stock of more than 1 million doses may take weeks to arrive.
The
global stockpile of yellow fever vaccine has already been depleted
twice this year to immunise people in Angola, Uganda and Congo. It
stands at 6 million doses, but experts warn this may not be enough if
there are simultaneous outbreaks in a number of highly-populated areas.
The
mosquito-borne haemorrhagic virus is a major concern in Kinshasa, a
city of about 12 million people with poor health services, a humid
climate beloved of the insects and much stagnant water where they can
breed, owing to pour drainage.
The government and
international health organisations vaccinated more than 2 million
people, about half of them in Kinshasa, between May 26 and June 4.
But
there is no more vaccine left, aside from a few doses left in reserve
in Kongo Central and some being administered by a government agency at
Kinshasa's central hospital, airport and river crossing with
neighbouring Congo Republic.
To cope with the
shortage, WHO has recommended using a fifth of the standard dose of
yellow fever vaccine, which would not give lifelong protection to those
who receive it but might at least contain the outbreak.
However, a WHO spokeswoman said such a move would not be appropriate for the current emergency plan on the border.
"Due
to the logistical challenges involved in rural areas, dose fractioning
would not be proposed in this area. WHO would recommend using full
doses," Sarah Cumberland said.
She added that the recommendation was being considered only for Kinshasa, "as a way to extend a limited stock of vaccine to cover the entire city".