The Democratic Republic of Congo has commenced a vaccination program against a new Ebola outbreak, which has resulted in 28 deaths since late August. The first shipment of vaccines was distributed in the hotspot town of Bulape, in Kasai province.

• 28 deaths and 81 confirmed cases have been registered since August 20, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating a fatality rate of around 35 percent for this epidemic.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) facilitated the initial delivery of 400 doses of the vaccine to those most at risk, including frontline health workers.
• An additional 45,000 vaccines have been approved for delivery to the DRC by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision. The Zaire strain, first identified in 1976, is believed to be responsible for the current outbreak.