Uganda receives other Ebola vaccine candidates, kicks-off clinical trial

By Ben Musanje

22^nd Dec 2022

Uganda has received another two consignments of Ebola vaccine candidates amounting to 2,160 Oxford and Merc doses that are to be used in a clinical trial.

This makes a total of over 52,560 doses of Ebola trial vaccines since the arrival of more than 3,096 doses of Sabin vaccine from USA and 2,000 Oxford vaccines from Serum Institute of India in Oxford University of England on both 8^th and 17^th of December 2022.

While attending the ceremony of receiving the doses at the National Medical Stores today, the Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said that the vaccines will be evaluated for safety and efficacy under a protocol called Solidarity against Ebola, locally termed as “Tukomeza Ebola” Clinical trial.

She says that after the arrival of these trial doses, a global expert consultation meeting will be convened on 12^th of January 2023 just after the completion of the 42 days countdown of no case recorded to finalize the trial designs and declare a way forward on the clinical trial.

The Makerere University Lung Institute Director and Principal Investigator Dr. Bruce Kirenga explains that the clinical trial started on 8^th of December after engaging 9 contacts of the last case reported in the country and commenced the vaccination of 5 of them though the window of 21 days ended before they could be completed.

However, Dr. Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, the WHO Country Representative commits to support Uganda in having this clinical trial successful for future Ebola epidemics.

Since the outbreak was declared on September 20, 56 people have died.

According to statistics compiled by Uganda’s Ministry of Health, 142 cases were confirmed.

86 people recovered from the hemorrhagic fever. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and, at times, internal and external bleeding.