WHO to Send 11,000 Vaccine Doses to Guinea Where Ebola Occurred

[Asia Economy Reporter Onyu Lim] The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced that it plans to send 11,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine to Guinea, West Africa, where Ebola has occurred, within a few days.

According to the Associated Press on the 18th (local time), Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said that 11,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine are being prepared in Geneva, Switzerland, where the WHO headquarters is located, and are expected to arrive in Guinea over the weekend. She added that an additional 8,600 doses will be shipped from the United States.

The vaccination campaign is expected to begin as early as the 22nd. Director Moeti stated, "Thirty vaccine experts have already been mobilized locally and are ready to be deployed as soon as the Ebola vaccine arrives in Guinea."

WHO has issued a high-level alert to six countries, mainly neighboring countries such as Liberia, after reports of Ebola infections in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in recent weeks. Director Moeti said, "Our rapid collective response is critically important to prevent Ebola from spreading uncontrollably amid the COVID-19 pandemic."

In Guinea, health officials detected suspected symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, and bleeding on the 14th, held an emergency meeting, and declared an Ebola outbreak. The patients had attended the funeral of a nurse who died at the end of January and was buried on February 1. At traditional funerals, people wash and touch the corpse, which can facilitate the spread of Ebola.

Ebola is usually transmitted from host animals such as bats to humans but can also spread through direct contact between people. According to WHO, as of this day, three Ebola patients have been confirmed in Guinea, and one has died.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.