![Faucia_0](https://www.hivplusmag.com/media-library/faucia-0.jpg?id=32668719&width=1200&height=1200)
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
In an opinion piece posted online Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, addressed head-on the question, Why after nearly 30 years is there still no vaccine against HIV? 'It's a very reasonable query, given the extraordinary successes in vaccine development for other serious diseases over the years,' Fauci wrote. 'Highly effective vaccines have been developed for many other viral diseases, including polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, rabies, varicella, human papillomavirus, rotavirus, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis. One viral infection -- smallpox -- has been completely eradicated from the human population.' But HIV has proved to stymie researchers largely because scientists have yet to discover any way to make the immune system resistant to the virus. Use of weakened bacteria or virus, which is the basis for most other effective disease vaccines, is not an option, since it could lead to systemic HIV infection. And as yet researchers have found no other alternative approach to priming the immune system to recognize and destroy HIV. 'Unlike classical vaccinologists, HIV vaccine scientists must learn how to prompt the human body to produce a protective immune response that is superior to that elicited by natural infection,' Fauci added. 'This has required a shift in the balance of effort from the empirical development and large-scale testing of candidate vaccines to the discovery of the mysteries of the interaction of HIV and the body's immune system. In the shift of this balance, certain fundamental unanswered questions must be addressed in the discovery process before additional large clinical trials are warranted. Paramount among these knowledge gaps is the need for a better understanding of the events early in HIV infection, beginning at the places where the virus enters the body.' But Fauci also warned that even should researchers discover a method to boost the immune system's responses to the virus, it's not likely a vaccine alone will offer complete protection against HIV. 'Since it is possible that an HIV vaccine alone will never fully prevent HIV infection the way smallpox or polio vaccines can, our efforts in HIV vaccinology must be part of a broader approach toward HIV prevention that includes the delivery of proven methods, such as HIV testing and counseling, education and behavior modification, the use of condoms, the treatment and prevention of drug and alcohol abuse, syringe-exchange programs, antiretroviral drugs to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmissions, and medically supervised adult male circumcision,' Fauci stated.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Before AIDS, gay artist Rex drew hot men on the prowl — then he disappeared
April 11 2024 3:15 PM
Diets that mimic fasting reverse aging: study
March 07 2024 5:28 PM
PrEP without a prescription now a reality in California
February 06 2024 8:37 PM
Injectable HIV treatment, prevention: Everything you need to know
March 26 2024 3:28 PM
8 dating tips for gay men from a gay therapist
March 21 2024 2:50 PM
Happy national foreskin day!
April 04 2024 1:45 PM
The science behind U=U has been liberating people with HIV for years
June 04 2024 3:31 PM
Scarlet fever: exploring our fascination with blood
March 13 2024 1:47 PM
On Anal Sex Day, crack up with The Bottom's Digest
April 18 2024 10:22 AM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Activist and philanthropist Bruce Bastian dies at 76
June 26 2024 1:28 PM
Yes, HIV-positive people can safely breastfeed
June 26 2024 12:59 PM
Exclusive: We kiki with Q from 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
June 24 2024 11:37 AM
Court rules to keep PrEP coverage under Obamacare
June 21 2024 5:42 PM
In honor of Juneteenth 2024, meet The Normal Anomaly
June 19 2024 1:39 PM
What is Juneteenth?
June 19 2024 11:30 AM
As Pride party season begins, the CDC urges mpox vaccinations
May 16 2024 6:52 PM
Advocacy in action with AIDSWatch
May 09 2024 12:30 PM
The Talk: Thriving with HIV
May 08 2024 10:45 AM
The Talk: What HIV isn’t
May 07 2024 10:48 AM
The Talk: Finding balance with HIV
May 06 2024 10:51 AM
Justice Dept plans to reschedule marijuana as a lower-risk drug
May 03 2024 2:40 PM
The Talk: Starting your journey with HIV
May 03 2024 2:00 PM
Why is a mother’s mental health so important? A doctor explains
May 01 2024 1:38 PM
Walmart to close all of its health care clinics
April 30 2024 12:30 PM
Vampire facial spa infected several women with HIV
April 29 2024 7:26 PM