By Ebi Kesiena
Sierra Leone has commenced a countrywide rollout of a single-dose Ebola vaccine, marking the first of such preventive campaign in West Africa since a devastating outbreak a decade ago claimed thousands of lives.
The 2014 Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, primarily affected West Africa, with Sierra Leone suffering the highest toll—nearly 4,000 deaths out of over 11,000 fatalities globally. The crisis also led to the loss of 7% of the country’s healthcare workforce.
Cynthia Reffell, a health worker, highlighted the campaign’s priority to vaccinate those most at risk. “We are targeting healthcare workers and frontline responders such as police, military officers, and traditional healers. Preventive measures are key because if one person is affected, it could spread rapidly,” she said.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Sierra Leonean government in collaboration with global partners, including Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF, aims to vaccinate 20,000 frontline workers.
Authorities are also working with traditional healers to foster community support. “As stakeholders, it is our responsibility to encourage communities to take the vaccine, which is safe and effective,” said Darlington Coker, a traditional healer.
During the 2014 outbreak, which recorded up to 28,000 cases originating in Guinea before spreading to Sierra Leone and Liberia, no approved vaccine was available. The last known Ebola case in the region was recorded three years ago in Guinea. However, officials warn of lingering risks in endemic areas.
