Uganda vaccinates health workers amid fear of Ebola's spread

Uganda will begin administering the Ebola vaccine to some health workers Nov. 5 amid growing concerns the Democratic Republic of Congo's outbreak could spread across its borders, reports Reuters.

Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Uganda's health minister, said authorities would give Ebola vaccines to about 2,100 frontline health personnel working near the Congo border. Some areas of Uganda's western border sit just 62 miles away from Congo's Ebola outbreak zone.

Dr. Aceng said the "risk of cross-border transmission was assessed to be very high" as tens of thousands of people cross the Congo-Uganda border weekly, according to Reuters. To prepare for this threat, Uganda has ramped up the screening of individuals crossing into the country and conducted Ebola training for health personnel near the border.

As of Oct. 31, the World Health Organization reported 298 total Ebola cases and 186 deaths linked to the outbreak, which started Aug. 1.

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