Rwanda has launched its first large-scale vaccination campaign against the Ebola virus.
At least 200,000 people will be vaccinated over the next year in areas bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda’s health minister Diane Gashumba said at the weekend.
Priority will be given to health workers, immigration officials, police and those engaged in cross-border trade.
So far there have been no confirmed Ebola cases in Rwanda.
The authorities are hoping the experimental vaccine will keep things that way.
More than 2,200 people have died from the disease in neighbouring DR Congo since August last year.
The vaccine was used for the first time last month in the city of Goma in eastern DR Congo.
A quarter of a million Congolese have already been vaccinated with another product – both are made by US drug companies.
BBC
