Uganda is preparing to deploy a trial vaccine to tackle an Ebola outbreak in Kampala, according to officials. Efforts are focused on addressing the Sudan strain of Ebola, with over 2,000 doses of a potential vaccine nearing deployment. Pontiano Kaleebu, the executive director of the Uganda Virus Research Institute, said "protocol is being accelerated" to secure all necessary regulatory approvals, as the vaccine is not yet licensed.
The World Health Organization is assisting Uganda with its outbreak response, providing access to 2,160 doses of a trial vaccine. "Research teams have been deployed to the field to work along with the surveillance teams as approvals are awaited," said the agency. The candidate vaccine and potential treatments are being utilized through clinical trial protocols to assess their efficacy and safety.
The outbreak follows the death of a nurse working at Kampala's main referral hospital, with his death occurring on the Wednesday preceding the declaration of the outbreak. Authorities are investigating the source, with at least 44 contacts identified, including 30 health workers and patients.
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Uganda's previous access to vaccine doses at the end of a 2022 Ebola outbreak came too late to begin a study, as that outbreak was declared over after about four months. The rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine effectively contained the spread of the Zaire strain of Ebola in eastern Congo from 2018 to 2020, where it was administered to 3,000 individuals at risk. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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