Uganda Launches Clinical Trial for Ebola Vaccine Amid New Outbreak
Uganda has initiated a clinical trial for a vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola following the recent outbreak that resulted in the death of a nurse in Kampala. The trial commenced just four days after Uganda reported the nurse’s death with health workers and individuals exposed to the virus being prioritized for vaccination.
The outbreak has already confirmed two additional cases involving relatives of the first victim. This marks the sixth occurrence of the Sudan strain in Uganda, a variant for which there is currently no licensed vaccine available. Of the five other known Ebola strains, only one has an approved vaccination.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the urgency of the situation, with WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noting, “This vaccination trial was initiated with record speed.” A system for candidate vaccines had been established during a previous outbreak of the Sudan Ebola virus in Uganda in 2022, facilitating swift action this time around.
The vaccination strategy employs a “ring” approach where initial doses are administered to all contacts of confirmed Ebola cases including secondary contacts. The first group targeted for vaccination includes 40 individuals directly related to the health worker who succumbed to the virus.
Ebola is transmitted between humans through body fluids with key symptoms including fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhea. Uganda has faced eight previous outbreaks of the Sudan strain, with five occurring within its borders and three in Sudan.
In contrast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced over a dozen Ebola epidemics with the most severe outbreak resulting in 2,280 deaths in 2020. The ongoing efforts in Uganda underscore the need for rapid responses and effective vaccination strategies to combat the spread of this deadly virus.
