More than 40,000 doses of Oxford University’s Ebola vaccine (from the Oxford Vaccine Group) have been manufactured by the SII (Serum Institute of India) in just 60 days and the doses have been shipped to Uganda. The bivalent vaccine, named ChAdOx1 biEBOV, is designed to target both major strains of Ebolavirus.
Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever) is a rare but severe, often fatal, often fatal illness, with a death rate of up to 90 percent in humans caused by the Ebola virus, a member of the filovirus family. A bivalent vaccine is one that works by stimulating an immune response against two different antigens, such as two different viruses or other microorganisms.
The Ugandan outbreak began in early September in Mubende, about 80 kilometers from the capital Kampala and this region remains at the epicentre.
The rapid response has been a part of international plans to develop globally accessible vaccines against new threats in just 100 days and is delivered in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Since the outbreak declaration on 20 September, to 5 December 2022, a total of 142 confirmed cases have been reported by the Uganda Ministry of Health. The origin of the virus is from astrain prevalent in Sudan.
The shipment to Uganda comes just 80 days after WHO declared a Sudan ebolavirus outbreak. Following a presentation of key data to the WHO, the new vaccine was recommended for inclusion in a WHO-run ring vaccination trial to combat a Sudan ebolavirus outbreak in Uganda.
The Oxford research team have been working on the vaccine for some time, including ongoing clinical trials in Oxford and Tanzania.
Teresa Lambe OBE, Professor of Vaccinology and Immunology at the Oxford Vaccine Group, states: “This is a phenomenal feat by all involved, especially our partners Serum Institute. This exceptional partnership has demonstrated yet again the importance of academics working with large scale manufacturers to rapidly pivot and respond to outbreaks, and the importance of working with and having the full support of WHO.”
Going forwards, and based on the fast deployment of the vaccine, a number of organisations, including government bodies, have embarked upon an ambitious plan to reduce the future risk of pandemics and epidemics.
Part of the strategy is to compress the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.
Achieving this ‘100 Days Mission’ would give a community or country a fighting chance of containing a future outbreak before it spreads to become a global pandemic.
