Clinical trial for Sudan strain Ebola vaccine begins in Uganda

Uganda's Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and various partners, has launched the first-ever vaccine trial for the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus, marking a significant milestone in emergency vaccine trials.

The study is focusing on health workers and individuals who have been exposed to the Ebola strain, commencing just four days after Uganda reported the death of a nurse in Kampala.

The deceased nurse had sought medical attention at a hospital near the capital before traveling to Mbale in eastern Uganda, where he was later admitted to a public hospital.

Health officials noted that he also consulted a traditional healer.

On Monday, two additional cases were confirmed among the nurse's relatives.

Researchers from Makerere University and the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) have worked diligently to prepare for this trial within just four days of the outbreak confirmation on January 30.

This trial is the first to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a vaccine specifically targeting Ebola caused by the Sudan virus.

The rapid progress was made possible through advanced research readiness while adhering to all national and international regulatory and ethical standards.

The candidate vaccine was provided by IAVI, with funding from WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the European Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), along with support from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, stated, “This is a significant step forward in enhancing pandemic preparedness and protecting lives during outbreaks. This achievement is a result of the commitment of Uganda’s health workers, community involvement, and the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Health, Makerere University, UVRI, and the extensive research network led by WHO. We appreciate the contributions of our partners, including IAVI for the vaccine donation, CEPI, EU HERA, and Canada’s IDRC for their financial support, and Africa CDC for their assistance. This remarkable accomplishment would not have been possible without their collaboration.”

In 2022, during a previous outbreak of Ebola from the Sudan strain in Uganda, a randomized protocol for candidate vaccines was developed.

The Ministry of Health has identified at least 234 contacts related to this outbreak.

Health authorities have access to over 2,000 doses of a candidate vaccine for the Sudan strain, although the manufacturer has not been disclosed.

This outbreak is the first since the recent decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from the U.N. health agency and the subsequent freeze on foreign aid.

Uganda has experienced several Ebola outbreaks, including a significant one in 2000 that resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Contact tracing is crucial for controlling the spread of Ebola, which presents as a viral haemorrhagic fever.

A trial vaccine called rVSV-ZEBOV was previously used to immunize 3,000 individuals at risk during an outbreak of the Zaire strain of Ebola in eastern Congo from 2018 to 2020, demonstrating effectiveness in curbing the disease's spread.

The detection of Ebola in Uganda adds to a series of viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks in the East African region, with Tanzania declaring an outbreak of the Ebola-like Marburg disease last month and Rwanda announcing the conclusion of its own Marburg outbreak in December.