Owing to the cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reported since May 2018 by the health authorities of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the pre- or post-exposure immunization strategy has been defined for the following populations:
- workers in health facilities likely to treat an EVD case on national soil;
- workers travelling to outbreak-affected areas, depending on the level of exposure.
After bearing in mind the epidemiological situation, the risks, data on the vaccines and ethical considerations, the HCSP recommends:
- for workers travelling to outbreak-affected areas, depending on the expected level of exposure and future tasks on the ground:
- in the event of high or moderate professional risk, immunization in France, at least 10 days and preferably 15 days prior to deployment to the area;
- in the event of a low professional risk: information and possibility of receiving the vaccine after a risk assessment.
- for workers in health facilities likely to treat an EVD case in France, not rolling out systematic vaccination, rather, making the vaccine accessible to individuals who would to receive it, setting up reactive vaccination were a case to be repatriated in a reference health facility, and, immediately following accidental exposure, vaccinating a subject who has not received the vaccine, etc.