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First-ever Ebola vaccine trial kicks off in Uganda

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Uganda Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the first-ever Sudan Ebola vaccine trial.Uganda’s Ministry of Health partnered with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to launch the first-ever vaccine trial for Ebola caused by the Sudan virus | Photo Credit: PBS
  • Uganda launched the first-ever vaccine trial for the Sudan Ebola virus strain just four days after the outbreak was confirmed
  • The first phase targeted 40 individuals linked to the initial confirmed Ebola case, using a "vaccination ring" approach
  • World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus commended the collaboration and quick action to address the outbreak

Uganda's Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other global partners, launched the first-ever vaccine trial for Ebola caused by the Sudan virus on Tuesday, February 4. 

The trial, which began just four days after the outbreak was confirmed on January 30, represented a swift and unprecedented response to the emerging health crisis.

Uganda launches first-ever Ebola vaccine trial

“This is a critical achievement towards better pandemic preparedness, and saving lives when outbreaks occur,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General stated.  

The vaccine trial, led by researchers from Makerere University and the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI), aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a candidate vaccine against Ebola caused by the Sudan virus. 

The effort received significant support from WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

The trial was the first of its kind to assess the clinical efficacy of a vaccine specifically targeting the Sudan strain of Ebola. 

The candidate vaccine, donated by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), was selected by an independent WHO working group tasked with prioritising potential vaccines for the trial.

During a launch ceremony in Kampala, Uganda's Minister of Health highlighted the significance of the trial, which will focus on a randomised study of the recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)-based vaccine. 

The first phase of the trial will involve vaccinating around 40 individuals who are directly linked to the first confirmed case of the outbreak, a health worker who died from the virus. 

These individuals will be part of a “vaccination ring,” a strategy designed to control the spread of the disease by targeting close contacts and their contacts.

The trial was built on experience from the 2022 Sudan virus outbreak in Uganda, during which a vaccine trial protocol was developed. This preparedness allowed the country to move quickly to launch the current trial. 

While no licensed vaccines currently exist for the Sudan strain of Ebola, existing vaccines are only effective against the Zaire strain, the more common variant of the virus.

If successful, the vaccine trial could play a key role in containing the current outbreak and contribute valuable data for future vaccine licensure. 

WHO, through an agreement with the Ministry of Health, has also ensured additional doses of the vaccine will be available to support the trial as it progresses.

“This is possible because of the dedication of Uganda’s health workers, the involvement of communities, the Ministry of Health of Uganda, Makerere University and UVRI, and research efforts led by WHO involving hundreds of scientists through our research and development Filoviruses network. We thank our partners for their dedication and cooperation, from IAVI for donating the vaccine, to CEPI, EU HERA and Canada’s IDRC for funding, and Africa CDC for further support. This massive achievement would simply not be possible without them,” Ghebreyesus stated. 

WHO raises alarm as US freezes funding for HIV programmes in Nigeria, others

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that funding cuts on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) programs could set back global progress.

WHO urged the US to provide exemptions to ensure continued access to life-saving HIV care.

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Halima AdeosunAdmin

Halima Adeosun is a news writer with over 5 years of experience reporting insightful events, and human interest stories.

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