Massive yellow fever vaccination campaign begins in Congo - Action News
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Massive yellow fever vaccination campaign begins in Congo

Dozens of organizations have started a massive emergency vaccination campaign in Congo against the largest yellow fever outbreak in decades, trying to stop its global spread.

Outbreak has claimed nearly 500 lives, Save the Children says

A man gets a yellow fever vaccine, launching a campaign against yellow fever in the district of Kisenso, Kinshasa, in July. (Eduardo Soteras/AFP/Getty)

Dozens of organizations have started a massive emergency vaccination campaign in Congo against the largest yellow fever outbreak in decades, trying to stop its global spread.

Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and others are joining Congo's government and the World Health Organization in targeting about 10.5 million people over the next 10 days.

They are trying to stop the spread of yellow fever in Congo's capital, Kinshasa, and on the border with Angola, where the outbreak began.

Save The Children has warned the mosquito-spread virus could soon spread to the Americas, Asia and Europe and elsewhere in Africa.

The aid group says the outbreak has claimed nearly 500 lives.

Vaccine supplies are limited. WHO says it must now use one-fifth the standard vaccine dose, which lasts about a year.