Ugandan health authorities are launching an Ebola vaccine trial as part of efforts to contain a recent outbreak in Kampala. The trial will use more than 2,000 doses of a candidate vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola, which has already claimed one life.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is providing support to Uganda’s response, including access to 2,160 doses of trial vaccine. Research teams are being deployed to the field to work with surveillance teams as regulatory approvals are awaited.
No approved vaccines for the Sudan strain exist, but a similar vaccine has been shown effective in containing Ebola outbreaks. A nurse who died from the virus had sought treatment at several hospitals before traveling to an area where he was admitted and later visited a traditional healer.
Uganda has seen multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed hundreds. The current outbreak is being traced to identify contacts, with over 44 people identified as having been in contact with the victim.
The trial vaccine, known as rVSV-ZEBOV, was used during a similar outbreak in eastern Congo between 2018 and 2020. Researchers are working to test its efficacy and safety before deploying it.
Ebola is spread through bodily fluids or contaminated materials and can cause symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and bleeding. The source of the current outbreak remains under investigation.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ugandan-health-authorities-set-begin-ebola-vaccine-trial-118357937