Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t there already an AIDS vaccine?
No. Unfortunately this is not true. There are effective treatments for HIV that help people live longer, but there is NO cure for AIDS and NO vaccine to prevent people from getting infected with the HIV virus.
Why do we need an HIV preventive vaccine?
While the availability of anti-retroviral therapy has had a dramatic impact on decreasing AIDS-related deaths in this country, these treatment regimens are complex, costly and in many cases can cause serious side effects. In addition, the development of drug resistance is common.
Developing safe, effective and affordable vaccines that can prevent HIV infection in uninfected people is the best hope for controlling and/or ending the AIDS epidemic.
Why is an HIV vaccine important to African Americans?
The AIDS epidemic has hit the African American community especially hard. While African Americans make up 12% of the U.S. population, they account for almost 50% of the AIDS cases, making HIV the number one killer for those between the ages of 25 and 44. African-American women acquire HIV at nearly 15 times the rate of white women.
An effective HIV vaccine could save millions of African American lives. In order to ensure that a vaccine works as well for blacks as for other groups, African Americans need to participate in HIV vaccine trials.
Why is an HIV vaccine important to Latinos?
Hispanics/Latinos account for 19% of new AIDS cases in the U.S. and AIDS is the third leading cause of death for Latinos ages 35 to 44. Hispanic women become infected with HIV at nearly 4 times the rate of white women.
An effective HIV vaccine could save millions of Latino lives. In order to ensure that a vaccine works as well for Hispanics as for other groups, Latinos need to participate in HIV vaccine trials.
Would a vaccine help people who are already HIV positive?
An HIV vaccine may also be beneficial for HIV-infected individuals by helping to delay the onset of AIDS or slowing disease progression. These types of vaccines are referred to as "therapeutic" vaccines. It is not known if an HIV preventive vaccine will have a therapeutic benefit in HIV-infected individuals. This would require additional clinical trials in those populations.
What is a vaccine trial?
A vaccine clinical trial is a study involving human volunteers that aims to establish the safety and effectiveness of a vaccine prior to it being licensed.
Can a person get HIV from being in a vaccine trial?
No. It is impossible to get an HIV infection or develop AIDS from experimental vaccines. Some vaccines, like flu shots, are made from the germs that cause the disease. HIV vaccines are not made from live HIV, killed HIV, weakened HIV, or HIV-infected cells. Instead, scientists make a safe replica using similar looking genes, teaching the body how to fight the infection.
Why should I trust the researchers?
There is a legacy of mistrust of scientific researchers among some people of color because of abuse in past research projects. The Legacy Project exists to ensure that HIV vaccine research is conducted to the highest scientific and ethical standards and that people of color are respected and involved in all aspects of the research process.
