Ebola Sudan Vaccine Candidate Deployed Amid Uganda Outbreak

The nonprofit research organization IAVI has begun vaccinating participants in Uganda with its investigational Ebola Sudan vaccine. This initiative is part of a ring vaccination trial led by the World Health Organization (WHO) at Makerere University Lung Institute in Kampala. The vaccine trial is central to a global collaboration aimed at addressing Uganda's sixth Ebola Sudan outbreak, marked by a high fatality rate of up to 50%.

The outbreak, which began on January 30 with a fatal case, has identified 45 close contacts prioritized for vaccination. The ring vaccination approach, previously effective in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, employs the same viral vector platform as IAVI’s vaccine. This method promises rapid mobilization and potential effectiveness despite no current licensed vaccines for Ebola Sudan.

Initial studies in the U.S. showed promising tolerance and immune responses from the vaccine candidate, laying the groundwork for future trials in Africa. This effort reflects a significant step in developing a viable Ebola Sudan vaccine as part of broader epidemic preparedness.