Uganda to Start Ebola Vaccine Trials

 

The government of Uganda through The Ministry of Health is set to start trials of three vaccines developed to combat Ebola Sudan virus which is currently in the central part of the country.

The three vaccines  which are Oxford from the United Kingdom, Sabin and Merck from USA will be evaluated for their efficacy.

This revelation was made by the State Minister for Health (Primary Health Care), Hon. Margaret Muhanga on Wednesday, 03 November 2022. Muhanga was briefing the Parliament chaired by Speaker Anita Among on the Ebola outbreak and the containment measures.

“We plan to vaccinate contacts of 150 confirmed cases (3000) initially. The trial preparation has been concluded and we estimate that we may begin the trial in two weeks' time,” said Muhanga.

She added that the vaccine is necessary as there is no known treatment for Sudan Ebola-virus strain.

Minister Muhanga said a number of treatment options are under trial by the ministry and that the doses used in treatment are still few.

Ebola Sudan strain which was first discovered in South Sudan and now in Uganda provides  a vaccine research opportunity to conduct trials so that people have something to protect them from this strain in future.

The Minister for Health, Hon. Jane Ruth Aceng commended her ministry for making efforts to discover a remedy for Ebola through vaccines.

“Ebola Sudan is only present in Uganda and South Sudan; this outbreak provides the opportunity to conduct trials so that people have something to protect them in future,” Aceng said.