Uganda is testing a vaccination against the Sudanese type of Ebola

While the number of confirmed cases has increased to three, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that Uganda has started a trial vaccine program for the type of Ebola virus that is causing the country’s most recent epidemic.

A nurse passed away on January 29 as a result of an Ebola epidemic in Kampala, the capital of the east African nation, which was reported last week.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, a Ministry of Health spokeswoman, told Reuters late on Monday that the two further cases from the deceased man’s family had brought the overall number of cases to three.

The WHO head for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, stated late Monday on the X platform that Uganda has also begun a clinical study of a vaccine against the Sudan type of Ebola.

There isn’t a vaccination licensed for that strain at the moment. The current vaccine targets the Zaire strain, which is responsible for a recent outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a nearby country.

“This marks a major milestone in public health emergency response and demonstrates the power of collaboration for global health security,” added Moeti. “If proven effective, the vaccine will further strengthen measures to protect communities from future outbreaks.”

The International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) produced the vaccine, and Bruce Kirenga, the leader of the research group conducting the experiment, Makerere Lung Institute, informed local media after the vaccination’s inauguration that the institute had received around 2,460 doses.

Last Monday, the health ministry said that the trial will focus on the contacts of verified patients.

Symptoms of an Ebola infection include headaches, muscular aches, and bleeding. Contact with infected body fluids and tissue can spread the virus.