WHO to start clinical vaccine trials for Ebola’s Sudan strain within weeks

Uganda and the World Health Organization are planning to try out two vaccines for the Ebola virus Sudan strain as part of efforts to curb the spread of the rare type of the deadly disease. This was disclosed by Dr. Tedros Adhnom Ghebreyesus, in a meeting organized by the government of Uganda in collaboration with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO…

The World Health Organization’s Director General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has announced that a clinical trial of vaccines to combat the Sudan strain of Ebola could start within weeks as an outbreak of the disease in Uganda reached the capital.

In a virtual address to a high-level emergency meeting of African regional health officials in Kampala, Dr. Tedros said several vaccines were currently being developed that could deal with the Sudan strain.

The meeting was organized by the government of Uganda in collaboration with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO to discuss cross-border collaboration to respond to the Sudan strain of Ebola which has no proven vaccine.

Health ministers from 11 African countries also attended the event.

Speaking after the meeting, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, Uganda’s health minister, said the country is expecting two different types of vaccines for the Sudan virus of Ebola currently circulating in Uganda.

The East African country declared an outbreak of Ebola on Sept. 20 and said infections were being caused by the Sudan strain.

The capital, Kampala, on Tuesday recorded the first Ebola death raising concerns over the spread of the virus.

The latest Ebola outbreak has so far killed 19 people in Uganda, including four health workers. The virus has now spread to five districts.