Uganda Begins Experimental Ebola Vaccine Trial

Uganda has begun a trial on a new experimental Ebola vaccine.

According to Uganda’s Medical Research Council (MRC) the trial of the MVA-BN vaccine developed by Johnson&Johnson is expected to take two years. The vaccine could be used to help tackle the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has been underway for over a year and claimed the lives of more than 1,800.

While an effective vaccine already exists and has been administered to various health professionals and frontline workers, stocks of the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine, developed by Merck are insufficient to provide full coverage. Neither vaccine is licensed as of yet, but the Merck vaccine, which was previously rolled out in Guinea, has proved safe and effective to date. The Johnson&Johnson vaccine has been tested on more than 6,000 people globally. However, it has not been trialled in an outbreak scenario to date.

The trial involves around 800 workers in services most likely to be exposed to the disease. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended the rollout of the latest vaccine, after the body declared the outbreak a global health emergency. However, some who oppose the use of the experimental drug have resisted its deployment.

Meanwhile the DRC has confirmed a fourth case of the disease in its eastern city of Goma, which borders Rwanda. The authorities are tracking down all those who had contact with the latest victims to ensure they are vaccinated.