Ebola outbreaks aren’t stopped by vaccines alone. Here’s what else is needed
Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Tensions have recently emerged around the Ebola response in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). These tensions have manifested in a series of incidents, including the burning of an Ebola treatment facility in Mongbwalu, confrontations involving families seeking to reclaim the bodies of relatives who had died from the disease, and reports of police firing warning shots. Against a backdrop of grief, fear, political mistrust and uncertainty, these incidents highlight difficulties that have shaped infectious disease outbreaks throughout history. With hundreds of Ebola cases reported in the DRC, and a growing number of cases identified across the border in Uganda, attention has increasingly focused on vaccines. This focus is understandable. Outbreaks are rarely controlled by vaccines alone (Getty Images) But these events also serve as a reminder that outbreaks are rarely controlled by vaccines alone. While vaccines play an important …
