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SOUTH SUDAN / EBOLA VACCINATION
STORY: SOUTH SUDAN / EBOLA VACCINATION
TRT: 03:00
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 24 -28 JANUARY 2019, VARIOUS LOCATIONS, SOUTH SUDAN
1. Wide shot, medical tents
2. Med shot, health care worker going through temperature check
3. Med shot, WHO Vaccine Expert Alejandro Javier Costa outside tent
4. Various shots, Costa interacting with health care workers inside tent
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Alejandro Javier Costa, Vaccine Expert, World Health Organization (WHO):
“This is a very special vaccine, it is still experimental. So, we don't know exactly the stability and for that reason is not like other vaccines that can be kept between 2 to 8 degrees. This vaccine has to be kept at minus 60 or below and this is very specific cold chain that we have in Juba and deep freezers that are keeping the vaccine for more than two years. And then once the vaccine is unfrozen can be kept between 2 to 8 degrees, but only for 15 days.”
8. Med shot, health care worker putting on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
9. Tilt up, vaccine being prepared
10. Med shot, health care worker being vaccinated
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Alejandro Javier Costa, Vaccine Expert, World Health Organization (WHO):
“If we have a case where we have an epidemic, we will target the population as well as we are doing in DRC to control the epidemic. So, contacts of a case and contacts of contacts will be also vaccinated.”
12. Med shot, Costa and other health care workers looking at laptop computer
13. Close up, vaccine being prepared
14. Med shot, health care worker being vaccinated
15. Close up, health care worker being vaccinated
16. Various shots, health care worker walking into lab
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Olushayo Olu, Representative for South Sudan World Health Organization (WHO):
“The Ebola vaccination that we are commencing today is one of the additional strategy which we’re using to ensure that the country, South Sudan, is fully prepared for any Ebola outbreak. We are hoping to keep Ebola out, but in case, by anybody comes in, we know from experiences in West Africa, that one of the first people to be affected will be the healthcare workers.”
18. Various shots, lab technician handling vaccines
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Olushayo Olu, Representative for South Sudan World Health Organization (WHO):
“We have installed a very good laboratory in Juba. Where we can ensure that we diagnose any case or anybody that is suspected. We can test them and see whether they are positive or not. We also supporting a lot of work around community awareness, you know, engaging the community letting them know what the disease is all about. What they need to do to protect themselves and in case they think that anybody in their community has the disease, what they need to do.”
20. Various shots, health care workers photographing those being vaccinated and processing information
The Ministry of Health of South Sudan, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other partners, today (31 Dec) started vaccinating health workers and other front-line responders against Ebola as part of preparedness measures to fight the spread of the disease.
As part of these preparedness activities, South Sudan received 2,160 doses of the Ebola vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV) from Merck, the vaccine developer. The vaccine offers protection against the Zaire strain of the virus, which is the one affecting DRC at present.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Alejandro Javier Costa, Vaccine Expert, World Health Organization (WHO):
“This is a very special vaccine, it is still experimental. So, we don't know exactly the stability and for that reason is not like other vaccines that can be kept between 2 to 8 degrees. This vaccine has to be kept at minus 60 or below and this is very specific cold chain that we have in Juba and deep freezers that are keeping the vaccine for more than two years. And then once the vaccine is unfrozen can be kept between 2 to 8 degrees, but only for 15 days.”
Vaccination began in Yambio, Gbudue State, but health workers in Tombura, Yei and Nimule as well as the capital city, Juba, will also be offered the vaccine. These are high-risk areas bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), now experiencing its tenth outbreak of Ebola.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Alejandro Javier Costa, Vaccine Expert, World Health Organization (WHO):
“If we have a case where we have an epidemic, we will target the population as well as we are doing in DRC to control the epidemic. So, contacts of a case and contacts of contacts will be also vaccinated.”
The outbreak began 1 August 2018. Neighbouring countries have not reported any cases of Ebola, but preparedness is crucial.
Vaccination is one of a raft of preparedness measures South Sudan is putting into place. WHO has deployed more than 30 staff members to support these activities.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Olushayo Olu, Representative for South Sudan World Health Organization (WHO):
“The Ebola vaccination that we are commencing today is one of the additional strategy which we’re using to ensure that the country, South Sudan, is fully prepared for any Ebola outbreak. We are hoping to keep Ebola out, but in case, by anybody comes in, we know from experiences in West Africa, that one of the first people to be affected will be the healthcare workers.”
In particular, WHO has helped train 60 health workers in good clinical practice principles and protocol procedures to administer the yet-to-be-licensed Ebola vaccine. To detect any travellers entering the country who may be infected with the virus, the Ministry of Health, with the support of its partners, has established 17 screening points. Nearly 1 million people have been screened to date.
WHO is also supporting engagement with communities, active surveillance for the disease at the community and health facility levels, strengthening capacity for infection prevention and control and case management, and supporting dissemination of Ebola information through the media. Local laboratory capacity to test samples taken from people suspected of having Ebola is also being strengthened. Protective gear for responders has been stockpiled in a dedicated warehouse.
SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Olushayo Olu, Representative for South Sudan World Health Organization (WHO):
“We have installed a very good laboratory in Juba. Where we can ensure that we diagnose any case or anybody that is suspected. We can test them and see whether they are positive or not. We also supporting a lot of work around community awareness, you know, engaging the community letting them know what the disease is all about. What they need to do to protect themselves and in case they think that anybody in their community has the disease, what they need to do.”
Uganda began vaccinating its front-line workers in November 2018. So far, more than 2 600 health workers in eight high-risk districts have been immunized. In DRC, more than 66 000 people have been vaccinated – more than 21,000 of them are health and other front-line workers. Rwanda also plans to vaccinate its front-line responders.
The yet-to-be-licensed rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine has been shown to be highly protective against the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus in a major trial. Though not yet commercially licensed, the vaccine is being provided under what is known as “compassionate use” in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in North Kivu province of DRC as part of recommendations from the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization. This vaccine was also used in the Ebola outbreak in Equateur province of DRC in May–July 2018.
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