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HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

Brief Description:
Dr. Anthony Fauci — director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases — discusses this year's observance of "HIV Vaccine Awareness Day".

Transcript:
Akinso: It's a day to educate folks about the ongoing search for a vaccine to prevent HIV. May 18th has been dubbed "HIV Vaccine Awareness Day" — where we get the opportunity to recognize the efforts of courageous clinical-trial participants, scientists, and health professionals who are committed to finding an effective vaccine. Doctor Anthony Fauci — Director of the National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases — believes this day has an important educational benefit.

Fauci: I think that the general public can gain information, and can get a more-keen awareness of what the issues are, why it's important to develop an HIV vaccine, and how they may contribute as volunteers in vaccine trials, as they come along — which they certainly will.

Akinso: This day reflects a hope that, one day, the AIDS pandemic will end. Doctor Fauci is optimistic a vaccine will be discovered.

Fauci: The theme is called, 'Hope For The Future' — and it represents just that. We are making some headway in this country — and in certain countries of the world — in preventing HIV infection in certain segments of the population. Unfortunately, in other segments of the population — and in many countries — HIV infection is still out of control, and getting worse. There's no doubt that an important component of a comprehensive plan for the prevention of HIV is the development of a safe and effective vaccine. So, we have hope for that. And, that's what we talk about on 'Vaccine Awareness Day' — this hope for the future.

Akinso: Currently, more than 30 HIVvaccine-trial concepts are in various stages of testing, or under development. However, any large-scale HIVvaccine trial will require thousands more participants of different races and genders, to ensure that the vaccine is effective for everyone. For more information on a possible HIVclinical trial — including eligibility criteria — visit www.cc.nih.gov, or call 1-800-411-1222. This is Wally Akinso, at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

This page was last reviewed on October 31, 2005 .

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