Ebola vaccines begin in DR Congo

People most at risk of contracting the deadly Ebola virus in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are now being given vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.

A total of 3,220 doses have been made available to people living in North Kivu province where the outbreak is concentrated. The vaccine alliance Gavi has struck a deal with the drug's developers to provide additional doses of the vaccine that are still in the testing stage.

Forty-four people are believed to have been infected with the virus - of whom 36 have died.

The latest flare-up comes weeks after the WHO declared an end to a separate outbreak which killed 33 people in north-western DR Congo.