Sierra Leone Launches Ebola Vaccination Campaign for Frontline Workers

December 6, 2024

Sierra Leone has initiated a nationwide Ebola vaccination campaign aimed at protecting 20,000 frontline workers, including healthcare personnel, traditional healers, community health workers, laboratory staff, motorcycle taxi drivers, and security forces. This effort is a proactive step to strengthen the country’s preparedness against future Ebola outbreaks, a decade after the devastating 2014–2016 epidemic in West Africa.

The vaccination drive utilizes the ERVEBO vaccine, which has been globally administered to over 500,000 individuals and is nearly 100% effective against the Ebola virus. The campaign targets 16 districts across the nation and seeks to reduce risks for those most exposed during potential outbreaks.

Officials highlighted the importance of this initiative in breaking chains of transmission and preventing future outbreaks. The campaign also reflects lessons learned from the past, as nearly 4,000 people, including 280 health workers, lost their lives during the previous epidemic in Sierra Leone.

In addition to vaccinating frontline workers, mechanisms have been established to deploy vaccines rapidly to the public if an outbreak occurs. A global stockpile of Ebola vaccines ensures timely delivery to manage potential emergencies.

This campaign represents a significant step toward reinforcing Sierra Leone’s health systems and creating a robust response framework against Ebola and other epidemics.