SUMMARY
In Angola, as of 15 July 2016 a total of 3682 suspected cases have been reported, of which 877 are confirmed. The total number of reported deaths is 361, of which 117 were reported among confirmed cases. Suspected cases have been reported in all 18 provinces and confirmed cases have been reported in 16 of 18 provinces and 79 of 125 reporting districts.
Mass reactive vaccination campaigns first began in Luanda and have now expanded to cover most of the other affected parts of Angola. Recently, the campaigns have focused on border areas.
Mass vaccination campaigns were completed in several districts in Benguela, Huambo,
Huila, Kwanza Norte, Lunda Norte, Malange and Uige provinces. All districts continued with house to house immunization campaigns and routine vaccination.For the last four weeks the national laboratory in the Democratic Republic of The Congo (DRC) has been unable to confirm or discard any suspected cases of yellow fever due to technical issues and corrective actions are underway. According to the latest available information (as of 11 July), the total number of notified suspected cases is 1798, with 68 confirmed cases (as of 24 June) and 85 reported deaths. Cases have been reported in 22 health zones in five of 26 provinces. Of the 68 confirmed cases, 59 were imported from Angola, two are sylvatic (not related to the outbreak) and seven are autochthonous.
In DRC, surveillance efforts have increased and vaccination campaigns have centred on affected health zones in Kinshasa and Kongo Central. Reactive vaccination campaigns started on 20 July in Kisenso health zone in Kinshasa province and in Kahemba, Kajiji and Kisandji health zones in Kwango province.
Two additional countries have reported confirmed yellow fever cases imported from Angola: Kenya (two cases) and People’s Republic of China (11 cases). These cases highlight the risk of international spread through non-immunised travellers.
Seven countries (Brazil, Chad, Colombia, Ghana, Guinea, Peru and Uganda) have reported yellow fever outbreaks or sporadic cases not linked to the Angolan outbreak.
Following the advice of the Emergency Committee convened on 19 May 2016, the WHO Director-General decided that urban yellow fever outbreaks in Angola and DRC are serious public health events which warrant intensified national action and enhanced international support. The events do not at this time constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization reviewed existing evidence that demonstrates that using a fifth of a standard vaccine dose would still provide protection against the disease for at least 12 months and possibly longer. This approach, known as fractional dosing, will be implemented in a pre-emptive mass vaccination campaign in Kinshasa.