Vaccination against the Ebola virus in 2019 (illustration).

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Jerome Delay / AP / SIPA

Guinea's goal is to eradicate the Ebola virus “in six weeks” from its territory.

For this, the vaccination campaign against hemorrhagic fever was launched Tuesday in the country, more than a week after the resurgence of the disease.

The campaign was able to start after the arrival Monday evening in Conakry of more than 11,000 doses of vaccine provided by the World Health Organization, which plans to send 8,500 additional doses from the United States soon.

On the ground, immunization began in Gouécké, a southern locality where the first cases were detected on February 13, five years after a deadly epidemic in West Africa.

Guinean authorities, whose figures have fluctuated, have so far generally cited five deaths since the resurgence of the disease.

In its last bulletin Tuesday evening, the health agency (ANSS) published a table counting six "community" deaths and two "hospital" deaths, including that of a "suspected case" died Monday in Nzérékoré, which would in fact bring the death toll to eight.

But in the same document, the ANSS reports "six deaths, including five probable cases and one case confirmed as of February 22," making it difficult to establish a precise assessment.

" Lead by example "

“Vaccines can help us stop the spread of the disease.

They are intended primarily for the circle of contacts of the cases that we know, and also for a second circle possibly, to ensure that we interrupt the chain of transmission ”, said the WHO representative in Guinea, Georges Ki-Zerbo, who made the trip to Gouécké with the Minister of Health, General Rémy Lamah.

A small ceremony brought together several dozen people in front of the health center, including young people, women and the prefect and the sub-prefect, who received the vaccine “to set an example”.

An imam and a pastor took the floor to encourage people to get vaccinated.

Originally from the region, General Lamah admitted having had to parley a whole day with the local chiefs to overcome their reservations.

And during the ceremony, he thundered against the "bad people" who refuse the vaccination.

An average case fatality rate of 50%

Guinean health authorities, such as the WHO or specialized NGOs, know that without the support of the populations, it will be very difficult to fight effectively against this disease which causes sudden fever, headaches, vomiting and diarrhea, and whose average case fatality rate is 50% according to the WHO.

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