This archive report was first published on 3 August 2019.
August 3, 2019, marked a significant milestone in the fight against Ebola as researchers in Uganda launched the largest-ever trial of an experimental vaccine.
The trial, which involves up to 800 people, is supported by Doctors without Borders and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Pontiano Kaleebu, a Ugandan researcher leading the trial, expressed regret that the Janssen vaccine has not yet been deployed in Congo, where a health minister had argued against its deployment, citing concerns about confusion on the ground.
Despite the challenges, health experts remain optimistic about the Janssen vaccine, which has already been tested in about 6,000 people, most of whom are Africans.
Juliet Mwanga, a co-investigator on the trial, emphasized the need to study multiple vaccines in light of Congo's ongoing epidemic.
Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks in the past, but the country is currently free of the virus, with three people who crossed into the country in June dying before their family members were taken back to Congo for treatment.
