Uganda receives 25,000 doses of Ebola vaccines

The Health ministry has received 25,060 doses of Johnson & Johnson Ebola vaccines to be used in preventive vaccination in 20 districts that are at higher risk of outbreak. 
 Lt Col Dr Henry Kyobe, the Ebola incident commander at the ministry, who received the vaccines yesterday, on behalf of the government at the National Medical Stores (NMS) warehouse in Kajjansi, Wakiso,  said the two-dose vaccinations would start around May. 

 “For Ebola response, we have limited options; these options are the same options we have always had since 1976 when Ebola was first identified. Recently, in addition to those options for control such as contact tracing, safe dignified burial, we have added vaccination,” he said.

 “In this country, we have deployed two vaccines, targeted deployment for specific categories of individuals. The vaccines here are going to target health workers in the regions in particular districts. It gives us another layer of protection for people who are at very high risk of catching and getting infected,” he added.

 Dr Kyobe said the vaccines target the Zaire Ebolavirus strain. Uganda has had outbreaks caused by that strain and also the Sudan ebolavirus. The latest outbreak in September 2022, the Health Ministry said saw at least 142 people infected and 55 killed. Health workers were also affected. 
 Dr Kyobe said the targeted districts are those bordering DR Congo, all the way from West Nile up to Kisoro. “Some parts of Kampala city where we have a higher risk of individuals coming with ebola interacting. Health workers in targeted districts and health facilities because we don’t have sufficient doses to vaccinate everyone,” he said.

 “We have a primer dose and a booster dose. The preparation process for the vaccination takes a bit of time. Remember we are not in a big hurry because this is preventive vaccination as opposed to reactive vaccination. The vaccines were donated on request by the Ministry of Health,” he added.
 Information from J&J  indicates that “Two Marketing Authorisation Applications (MAAs) were submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the vaccines composing the two-dose regimen, Zabdeno® (Ad26.ZEBOV) and Mvabea® (MVA-BN-Filo).”

 “Marketing Authorisation under exceptional circumstances has been granted following Accelerated Assessment of the MAAs and a positive opinion by the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). Janssen’s Ebola vaccine regimen is indicated for active immunisation for the prevention of Ebola Virus Disease caused by the Zaire ebolavirus species in individuals aged one year and above,” manufacturer statement in 2021. 

WHO says

Information from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that there are two types of vaccines so far licensed for use, one manufactured by J&J.
 “In May 2020, the European Medicines Agency recommended to grant marketing authorisation to a second new vaccine delivered in two doses called Zabdeno (Ad26.ZEBOV) and Mvabea (MVA-BN-Filo) for individuals aged one year and older. The vaccine is delivered in 2 doses: Zabdeno is administered first and Mvabea is given approximately 8 weeks later. This prophylactic two-dose regimen is therefore not suitable for an outbreak response where immediate protection is necessary,”  WHO reads.