Freetown – Sierra Leone launched a nationwide Ebola vaccination marketing campaign this week to guard 20 000 well being staff, conventional healers, group well being personnel and different frontline staff. The marketing campaign comes a decade after the devastating 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

The vaccination marketing campaign, utilizing the ERVEBO vaccine and being rolled out with help from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, World Well being Group (WHO) and the Worldwide Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision companions, seeks to safeguard the nation’s healthcare staff whereas strengthening preparedness for future outbreaks.

The marketing campaign is focusing on 16 districts within the nation to vaccinate healthcare staff, conventional healers, group well being and social staff, laboratory personnel, motorbike taxi drivers and safety forces that will likely be concerned in any future outbreak response. Practically 4000 folks, together with round 280 well being staff, died in Sierra Leone in the course of the 2014–2016 Ebola outbreak.

The ERVEBO vaccine, has globally been administered to greater than 500 000 folks and supplies near 100% safety towards the Ebola virus.

“This marketing campaign is essential for lowering the dangers healthcare staff face when treating undiagnosed instances of Ebola. By vaccinating these frontline staff, we are able to doubtlessly break chains of transmission and stop outbreaks from escalating,” mentioned Dr George Ameh, WHO Consultant in Sierra Leone.

WHO, UNICEF and different companions are supporting the vaccination marketing campaign by offering technical experience, logistical coordination, and monitoring programs.

Sierra Leone, one of many hardest-hit international locations in the course of the West Africa Ebola outbreak, has used the teachings realized to bolster its well being programs and outbreak response mechanisms. With this vaccination marketing campaign, the nation goals to create a robust barrier towards the resurgence of Ebola and create a strong epidemic preparedness.

Along with the focused vaccination of healthcare staff, mechanisms are in place to quickly deploy vaccines to the general public within the occasion of an outbreak. A worldwide stockpile of Ebola vaccines, managed by the Worldwide Coordinating Group is ready to make sure well timed supply, enabling swift responses.