HIV Vaccine: Scientists Debunk TOP-10 Myths

The World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1, and in honor of this, the Department for the Development of the Vaccine for HIV, located at the Center for Cancer Research Fred Hutchinson (USA), debunks the TOP-10 myths about HIV vaccine research .

Myth # 1: HIV vaccines can infect people with HIV. HIV vaccines do not contain HIV and, therefore, a person can not get immunodeficiency from a vaccine. Some vaccines, for example against typhoid or poliomyelitis, may contain weak forms of the virus, but this does not apply to HIV vaccines. Scientists develop the drug so that it looks like a real virus, but they do not contain active HIV components.

Over the past 25 years, more than 30,000 volunteers have participated in HIV vaccine research around the world, and no one has been infected with HIV.

Myth number 2: The vaccine against HIV already exists. To date, there is no licensed vaccine against HIV / AIDS, but scientists are closer than ever to developing an effective vaccine against HIV. In 2009, a large-scale study of the RV144 vaccine was conducted in Thailand, which showed that vaccination can prevent about 32% of new infections. Now scientists are working to improve it.

Scientists around the world are constantly conducting new research on the creation of an effective vaccine against HIV. The leading authority in this area is the HIV Vaccine Testing Department (HVTN).

Myth # 3: Participation in clinical trials of the vaccine against HIV is comparable to the experimental rabbits. Unlike rabbits, people can agree or refuse to participate in the study. All volunteers must undergo a process of so-called informed consent, which ensures that they understand all the risks and benefits of clinical trials. Volunteers should remember that they can stop participating in the study at any time without losing rights or benefits. All the studies of the Department of HIV Vaccine Testing correspond to the American norm of federal law in the field of scientific research, as well as to the international standards of the countries where studies are conducted.

Myth # 4: A person must be HIV-positive to participate in a study of an HIV vaccine. This is not true. Although some research groups conduct experiments among HIV-positive people, the vaccines tested in HVTN are prophylactic and should be tested on volunteers who are not infected with HIV.

Myth # 5: Vaccine researchers want study participants to practice unsafe sex so they can make sure the vaccine works. This is not true. The safety of the participants in the study is the No. 1 priority in studies of the vaccine against HIV. Trained counselors are constantly working with participants to help them develop an individual plan to prevent HIV infection. Volunteers also receive condoms and lubricants, as well as instructions on how to use them properly.

Myth # 6: Now that there is antiretroviral therapy that can prevent HIV infection, there is no longer any need for an HIV vaccine. HIV-negative people who are at high risk can take antiretroviral drugs on a daily basis to reduce the risk of HIV infection, the so-called emergency HIV prevention (PrEP), which has shown efficacy among high-risk groups to reduce the risk of spreading the disease. However, it is not yet recommended for general use. PrEP is unlikely to be available to all due to the high cost of drugs and the presence of a large number of side effects. Adherence to therapy, taking the pill at a clearly set time each day, poses a significant problem for some people. Therefore, the most effective way to prevent disease is to develop an effective vaccine.

Myth # 7: The HIV vaccine is not needed, as today, HIV and AIDS are easily treated and controlled, like diabetes. Although treatment for AIDS has progressed over the past 30 years, it can not replace prevention. Today's HIV medicines are very expensive, with a lot of side effects. Sometimes people develop drug resistance to HIV drugs, which causes them to change their medications for more modern drugs. Access to these drugs for uninsured individuals in the US and developing countries is also very limited.

Myth No. 8: The search for an HIV vaccine has been going on for a long time, suggesting that it is not possible to create an effective vaccine. The HIV vaccine development process is a complex task, but the scientific understanding of the processes that occur with HIV infection continues to improve all the time. HIV is a powerful opponent, but scientists are constantly learning from each other, using advanced technology to combat it. Over the past 30 years, since HIV was discovered, science has made a huge step forward. This is not so much, since the development of the vaccine against poliomyelitis took 47 years.

Myth # 9: Vaccines can cause autism or are simply unsafe. This is not true. Numerous studies over the past decades have refuted these allegations. A British doctor who published a paper on the connection between vaccines and autism confessed that he falsified the research. In fact, there is no connection between vaccination and autism. Indeed, vaccines often have side effects, but they are usually temporary (for example, pain at the injection site, fever, muscle pains) and disappear within one to two days. The value of protecting vaccinated individuals and the public has made vaccines one of the leading health measures in history, second only to clean drinking water.

Myth number 10: People who are not at risk, do not need an HIV vaccine. A person at a given time may not be at risk of contracting HIV, but life situations may change, increasing the risk of the disease. Such a vaccine can also be important for children or other family members and friends. Being knowledgeable about the preventive study of the HIV vaccine, a person can become part of the solution by informing friends and family about the importance of such research and debunking the myths that surround HIV and AIDS. Even if a person is not in danger, he or she can be part of the effort to find an effective vaccine, with which we hope to save the lives of millions of people around the world.