SII manufactures and ships ebola vaccine to Uganda

The Serum Institute of India (SII) has manufactured and shipped over 40,000 doses of Oxford’s ebola vaccine to Uganda in just 60 days, a statement from SII informed.

It also said that the bivalent vaccine is designed to target both major strains of ebola virus.

The rapid response is 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 Organization (WHO).

Following presentation of key data to the WHO generated in Oxford by Teresa Lambe, OBE, Professor, Vaccinology and Immunology, Oxford Vaccine Group, it was announced on 17th November that the vaccine had been recommended for inclusion in a ring vaccination trial to combat a Sudan ebola virus outbreak in Uganda. The WHO, working in partnership with the Ugandan government and Ministry of Health, has enabled the ring vaccination trial as part of a multi-faceted effort to curb the outbreak and save lives, according to the statement.

The Oxford team led by Professor Lambe has been working on the vaccine for some time, including ongoing clinical trials in Oxford and Tanzania; manufacture scale-up was led by SII and supported by Professor Sandy Douglas, Jenner Institute. This research was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). SII, which also partnered with the university to manufacture the COVID vaccine, produced 40,000 doses for the trial in just a few short weeks.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO, SII, said in the statement, “To combat the widespread outbreak of the Sudan ebola virus in Uganda, it is important to prioritize immunization. The 40,000 vaccine doses manufactured in record time is a remarkable milestone in our long-standing association with Oxford University…….”