The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to introduce a second vaccine to combat the Ebola virus.
This came after a top medical charity accused the UN Agency of rationing doses of the main drug meant to protect against the disease.
The latest Ebola epidemic which erupted in August 2018 has claimed the lives of over 2,100 people making it the second deadliest epidemic after the West Africa pandemic of 2014-2016.
The record shows that more than 223,000 people living in active Ebola transmission zones have received a vaccination produced by the pharmaceutical giant Merck.
However, WHO has for months been pushing Kinshasa to approve the use of a second experimental product, made by Johnson & Johnson, to protect those living outside of direct transmission zones.
The representative added that it would act as a “preventive” measure, given the risk that stocks of the Merck vaccine could run out if the epidemic persists.
