The Ministry of Health has begun administering the Ebola Sudan trial vaccine to high-risk populations following the recent outbreak in Uganda. The rollout follows the country’s eighth recorded outbreak of the Ebola Sudan strain, which claimed the life of a health worker from Mulago Hospital.
Professor Bruce Kirenga, the trial’s principal investigator, revealed that 2,460 doses of the vaccine are available for administration under a clinical trial. Eligible participants—contacts of confirmed cases—must provide informed consent after fully understanding the vaccine information before voluntarily taking part.
Kirenga explained that the vaccine is still in trial phases and does not yet have an official name, but is code-named RVSV or V921. It is specifically designed to target the Ebola Sudan strain, which currently lacks a licensed vaccine for outbreak response. While a licensed vaccine exists for Ebola Zaire, the Ebola Sudan strain requires a different formulation.
Vaccine Effectiveness and Deployment
Uganda also possesses the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Ebola vaccine, which offers protection against Ebola Zaire and limited response against Ebola Sudan. However, its formulation is not ideal for emergency outbreak control and is primarily used for preventive measures.
Following the 2022 Ebola outbreak, the Ministry of Health administered the J&J vaccine to frontline healthcare workers. Unlike the J&J vaccine, which takes two and a half months to confer protection, the Ebola Sudan trial vaccine works faster—providing immunity within seven to nine days. This makes it a crucial tool for protecting high-risk individuals during an active outbreak.
Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, the Director of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, emphasized that Uganda is using this trial to gather scientific evidence on the vaccine’s effectiveness for future use. He expressed gratitude to volunteers, clarifying that the vaccine is not for mass immunization but is strictly for individuals with confirmed exposure to Ebola Sudan.
Contact Tracing and Community Response
Meanwhile, health officials in Jinja City are tracing contacts of two recently confirmed Ebola patients. Sayyid Kalume, the Senior Health Educator of Jinja City, confirmed that 25 contacts of the patients—mainly family members and neighbors—have been identified and transported to the national isolation center for monitoring.
The two patients—a child and the wife of a Mulago nurse who succumbed to Ebola—were traced to Mafubira Zone A, Northern Division, Jinja City, after relocating from Mbale. However, Kalume raised concerns about one prime contact who attended a community meeting before fleeing to an unknown location. Authorities are working with his relatives and friends to locate him and prevent further spread of the virus.
To contain the outbreak, health officials have fumigated the homes of all identified contacts to eliminate any viral traces. Jinja Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Richard Gulume, who heads the Ebola Taskforce, stated that village health teams (VHTs) are conducting community mobilization to educate residents on Ebola prevention.
Gulume urged political, religious, and cultural leaders to use public gatherings for sensitization efforts, emphasizing that community awareness is crucial in preventing further transmission.
In Mbale, more than 100 contacts of the patient who succumbed to the deadly Sudan Ebola virus are under isolation in Mbale City.
The 32-year-old male nurse from Mbale, who was working at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, who succumbed to the Sudan Ebola virus was buried in Namunsi in Mbale City last week.
Atek Kagirita the Ebola Incident Commander says that the number of contacts in Mbale keeps going up day by day as the search for more contacts continues. According to Kagirita, those under isolation will be monitored for the next 21 days. Kagirita has asked the public to provide information to any contacts that have not yet been isolated to contain the spread of the Ebola virus.
Meanwhile Mbale City authorities have denied allegations that the body of an Ebola victim was exhumed, despite initial plans by the victim’s relatives. Resident City Commissioner Asumin Nasike dismissed reports circulating on social media, calling them false.
Nasike explained that while the family initially sought to exhume the body for an Islamic burial, health experts and city officials intervened, warning them of the serious risks involved. Authorities emphasized the importance of preventing the spread of Ebola, discouraging social gatherings and handshakes while urging the public to report any suspected cases to nearby health facilities.
Meanwhile, Mbale City Health Officer Moses Mugonyi confirmed that seven suspected Ebola cases are currently in quarantine, with test results pending from the Entebbe virus laboratory.
Ebola is a highly infectious disease, and mishandling the bodies of victims can have devastating consequences. In 2022, a similar incident led to the spread of the virus when 23 people contracted Ebola after exhuming a body. The disease, caused by ebolaviruses, affects both humans and primates. Symptoms typically appear within two to three weeks of infection and include fever, sore throat, muscle pain, and headaches.
Global Endorsement and Support
Dr. Mike Ryan, Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), praised Uganda for deploying the Ebola Sudan trial vaccine, assuring the public that it was developed under the highest scientific standards.
Dr. Kasonde Mwinga, WHO Representative for Uganda, commended the government’s efforts, stating that the vaccine is just one of the tools being used to combat the outbreak. She urged development partners to support Uganda’s response to the Ebola Sudan outbreak, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and collaboration.
Uganda has experienced eight Ebola outbreaks, all of which have been successfully managed. However, this is the first time an Ebola outbreak has started in the capital, Kampala, raising concerns about its potential spread.
