Pregnant, nursing women can now receive Ebola vaccine – WHO

The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunisation set up by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that pregnant and nursing women can now be given Ebola vaccine, a major step in combating the epidemic, which has been a public health concern for some years now.

Last August, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Ministry of Health declared a fresh outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in North Kivu Province.

Noting that these experimental vaccines are “non-replicating or replication deficient,” SAGE concluded, “Pregnant and lactating women should be included into the clinical trial protocol.

“The protocol must include provisions for safety monitoring and for documentation of EVD cases among vaccines, including follow-up of pregnant women and their offspring,” the Group stressed.

According to SAGE, national authorities should choose the vaccine “based on a transparent and evidence-based process.”
Meanwhile, WHO, the Health Ministry and partners continue working to establish the outbreak’s full extent.

As of February 16, 2019, 773 confirmed EVD cases have been reported in one of the country’s most populated provinces – with eight million inhabitants – as well as 65 probable others and 534 deaths.

SAGE recommends that the Ebola inoculation be administered to contacts and contacts of contacts as well as geographically targeted vaccinations to prevent contracting the disease.

The Advisory Group meets biannually to review and critique evidence on immunisation and vaccine-related topics, after which it formulates recommendations for WHO vaccine position papers.