Uganda has begun a clinical trial of a vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola that has claimed one life and infected two others. The trial targets health workers and others exposed to the virus, with over 2,000 doses available from the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). This marks a significant milestone in global health security and collaboration. Officials are investigating the outbreak’s source, which is believed to have originated from contact with an infected animal or raw meat.
With Uganda’s highly mobile population of 4 million, tracing contacts is crucial to stemming Ebola’s spread. The country has experienced multiple outbreaks before, including one in 2000 that killed hundreds. A trial vaccine known as rVSV-ZEBOV proved effective in containing the spread of a similar strain in eastern Congo between 2018 and 2020.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/uganda-begins-ebola-vaccine-trial-after-new-outbreak-118409302