‘Preventively vaccinate healthcare workers against Ebola’
Universities of Antwerp and Kinshasa demonstrate that a different approach can save lives
When Ebola breaks out, healthcare workers are disproportionately affected. Currently, they are only vaccinated once the outbreak is already underway. Researchers from the Universities of Antwerp and Kinshasa want to vaccinate healthcare workers in high-risk areas in advance. ‘This is feasible and saves lives.’
In Bulape, a remote region in the Congolese province of Kasai, Ebola broke out in early September 2025. By the end of that month, the World Health Organisation had counted 64 infections and 42 deaths, representing a mortality rate of almost two in three. Among the victims were five healthcare workers, three of whom died at the start of the outbreak.
Virus circulates in hospitals
This pattern is not new. During the major Ebola outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, 518 healthcare workers died, accounting for 4.6 per cent of all fatalities. This is despite the fact that healthcare workers make up a much smaller proportion of the population. The first Ebola vaccine was approved in 2019, but vaccinations usually only start several weeks after an outbreak has been detected. In the meantime, the virus can spread in hospitals and health centres.
‘Healthcare workers often become infected before it is clear that it is Ebola,’ says Prof. Jean-Pierre Van Geertruyden, head of the Global Health Institute at the University of Antwerp. ‘They treat patients without knowing that the virus is present, often with limited protective equipment. These early infections not only weakened the response, but also fuelled mistrust among the population, causing many to seek care elsewhere or postpone care, resulting in greater spread at the population level.’
Valuable time saved
Researchers from the University of Antwerp and the Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN) investigated the impact of a vaccine and a booster shot on healthcare and frontline workers as part of the EBL2007 study. The results were presented at a workshop where Prof. Placide Mbala also spoke. Mbala, a prominent Congolese epidemiologist and virologist affiliated with the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa, is an authority in the fight against Ebola.
The study shows that the vaccine provides long-lasting immunity and is practical for use in hard-to-reach regions. Additional mathematical models show that vaccinating part of the healthcare workforce in advance saves more lives and is affordable: each death prevented costs approximately £10,000 to £20,000.
‘If we protect healthcare workers better, we gain valuable time at the start of an outbreak,’ says Prof. Hypolite Mavoko Muhindo, head of the tropical diseases department at UNIKIN. "That makes a huge difference, both for patients and for the healthcare system. We therefore advocate including routine Ebola vaccination of healthcare workers in national health and safety plans in countries where Ebola regularly occurs."