GOMA: Health authorities in Democratic Republic of Congo said on Saturday that they plan to introduce a second Ebola vaccine, manufactured by Johnson & Johnson, to counter the second-worst outbreak of the virus in history.

The J&J vaccine has been a source of controversy among Congolese health officials. The former health minister, who was stripped of oversight of the Ebola response in July, opposed its use, saying it had not been proven safe or effective. But in a statement, the current Ebola response team said the vaccine was safe and noted that it was already being trialled in Uganda and in the West African country of Guinea.

The current Ebola outbreak has killed more than 2,100 people since the middle of last year.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2019