Ebola outbreak in Uganda: How worried are researchers?
Nature, October 7, 2022
Because Sudan ebolavirus outbreaks have been rare, researchers have not been able to test vaccine candidates thoroughly. Three vaccines have undergone early tests to ensure that they are safe in humans, but larger trials needed to confirm efficacy haven’t been possible. These should be prioritized for hospital workers, including health-care personnel who are interacting with people who have been infected and their direct contacts, and the contacts of those contacts, said Dr. Gary Kobinger, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston who specializes in Ebola. Still, vaccines and antivirals, even if proved to be effective, will not stop the outbreak just because they exist, Kobinger said. To achieve that, enough doses need to be produced quickly and then distributed widely, which will pose a challenge, he said. Becker’s Hospital Review reported on the Nature article, including Dr. Kobinger’s comment that he hopes containment measures will be successful but fears that the outbreak could "really get out of hand."