Ugandan authorities have begun a clinical trial of a vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola that has killed one person in the outbreak declared last week.

A Ugandan doctor prepares to vaccinate the contact of a patient who had tested positive, during the launch of the vaccination for the Sudan strain of Ebola virus with a trial vaccine at the Mulago Guest House (Isolation centre) in Kampala, Uganda February 3, 2025. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa

Uganda plans to deploy over 2,000 doses of a candidate vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola. View on euronews

Ugandan officials are preparing to deploy a trial vaccine as part of efforts to stem an outbreak of Ebola in the capital, Kampala

Test results on the sick people are pending, and a top WHO official said the outbreak response is proceeding rapidly.

Uganda started a vaccination trial on Monday for the Ebola Sudan virus four days after an outbreak was confirmed, the WHO announced

Uganda is racing to launch a trial Ebola vaccine after a deadly outbreak in Kampala claimed a nurse’s life. With no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain, officials are accelerating research and regulatory approvals.

At least 44 contacts of the victim in the current outbreak have been identified, including 30 health workers and patients.

Uganda has confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the capital Kampala with the first confirmed patient dying from it on Wednesday, the health ministry said on Thursday.

In its last outbreak, more than two years ago, Uganda saw 164 cases and 55 confirmed deaths from Ebola. Uganda announced Thursday that a nurse, 32, had died of Ebola in the capital, Kampala, amid a new outbreak of the deadly virus there — the first in two years.