Sierra Leone begins nationwide rollout of Ebola vaccine a decade after deadly outbreak

FREETOWN – Authorities in Sierra Leone on Thursday started a nationwide rollout of the single-dose Ebola vaccine, the first such campaign in West Africa where a deadly outbreak 10 years ago resulted in the death of thousands.

The 2014 Ebola outbreak – the deadliest in history – was primarily in West Africa but affected Sierra Leone the most, with nearly 4,000 deaths out of the more than 11,000 recorded globally. The country also lost 7% of its healthcare workforce to the outbreak.

The nationwide vaccine campaign, implemented by the government in partnership with the global vaccine alliance Gavi, the World Health Organization and the United Nations children’s agency, will target 20,000 frontline workers across the country, officials said.

“This is an investment in the safety of our people and a healthier Sierra Leone,” Health Minister Dr. Austin Demby said.

There had been no approved vaccine at the time of the 2014 outbreak that recorded up to 28,000 cases, starting in Guinea before spreading across land borders to Sierra Leone and Liberia, the other two countries affected the most.

Three years have passed since the last case was recorded in Guinea, although officials have spoken of remaining threats in endemic regions.

Among those killed by the disease during the 2014 outbreak were nine relatives of Hassan Kamara, a resident of Freetown. Of the 11 people he was living with at the time, only he and his baby daughter survived.

“They died in front of me,” he said. “I feel bad sometimes speaking about this because of what I went through.”

Thursday’s campaign, which launched in the capital, Freetown, was welcomed by health workers.

Collins Thomas, a community health worker in Freetown, remembers losing many colleagues in 2014 as they managed patients during the outbreak in Freetown.

“It was scary, because we knew nothing about the disease and learned along the line. With this vaccine, we know we are protected,” Thomas said.

Gavi chief executive Dr. Sania Nishtar said the organization is “incredibly proud” of how its support for timely and equitable access to vaccines has helped save lives and protect communities.

“To have the first nationwide preventive vaccination campaign take place in the country most deeply impacted by the 2014 outbreak makes this historic milestone even more meaningful,” he said.

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