NIHR Global Health Research Group on Vaccines for Vulnerable people in Africa (VAnguard)

WORMVACS2.0 will establish an effective pipeline for helminth vaccine development focusing on schistosomes and hookworms, to support control and elimination of some of the world’s most devastating and persistent Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

WORMVACS2.0 is funded by Horizon Europe and will run between September 2023 and August 2028.

The Uganda Schistosomiasis Multidisciplinary Research Center (U-SMRC) has been established to build expertise and understanding of the underlying biological determinants of severe schistosomal morbidity and to develop and identify appropriate interventions for prevention and management of this important disease.

Life-course determinants of susceptibility and response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in Entebbe Mother and Baby Study participants and their role in transmission and control (CoHost) study

 The CoHost longitudinal Study, funded by the Science for Africa Foundation, Grant Ref: GCA/SARSCov2-2-20-002, and nested within the long-running Entebbe Mother and Baby Study (EMaBS), investigated how early-life exposures influenced immunity to COVID-19 among Ugandan adolescents. Established in 2003, EMaBS has followed participants from birth through adolescence, collecting extensive data on infections, nutrition, immunisations, and genetics. This unique life-course information enabled researchers to explore why individuals and populations differ in their responses to new infections and vaccines.

The study examined four main research questions:

1. What was the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 disease among Ugandan adolescents, and how did affected individuals present clinically and mount adaptive immune responses following infection?
2. Which life-course factors such as prior infections, nutritional status, past immunisations, innate immune responses, and genetic characteristics determine susceptibility to and immune response following SARS-CoV-2 infection among Ugandan adolescents?
3. What was the role of Ugandan adolescents in SARS-CoV-2 transmission?
4. How did Ugandan adolescents respond immunologically to COVID-19 vaccination?

Adolescents aged 15–18 years were followed for one year, reporting symptoms and contacts every two weeks. Stool and blood samples were collected from all participants to assess infection, antibody responses, and immune function, while nasal/throat swabs were obtained only from participants with suspected SARS-CoV-2 infection. Notably, none of the suspected participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by PCR during the follow-up period, and therefore no household testing was required; highlighting the low levels of community transmission observed in this setting.

The study aimed to enroll approximately 500 adolescents from the EMaBS cohort for enhanced follow-up over 12 months.

Analysis is currently underway to determine how prior malaria and helminth infections, and nutritional status may have influenced COVID-19 outcomes and vaccine responses. These findings are expected to provide valuable insights to guide future public-health strategies for improving vaccine effectiveness and pandemic preparedness in African settings.

The study was conducted with full ethical approval from the Uganda Virus Research Institute Research Ethics Committee (UVRI-REC), and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) REC, ensuring that all research activities met the highest ethical standards for participant safety and data integrity. Informed consent and assent were obtained from the participants and their parents or guardians.

This collaborative project brought together scientists from the MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Unit, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, King’s College London, and Leiden University Medical Center.