Although this is a bit more scientific topic, than the ones we usually post in our newspaper, still I thought it deserves to be part of it, because it is one of the greatest global health concerns. The issue of HIV and AIDS was brought up again in the media in the past week, due to the recent discoveries. The information that an HIV vaccine has been discovered made a boom in the whole world. And for sure it didn’t leave a person unconcerned.
But first of all, what is HIV exactly and why is this possible vaccine one of the greatest discoveries of all times? The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is part from the retroviruses family, which causes the development of the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), which is a condition in which the immune system starts to fail and the infected person can easily catch an opportunistic infection (which is an infection that doesn’t usually cause problems in a healthy immune system, but in an infected one can lead to death). Due to its fast spreading and the inability to be detected for a long time, the HIV infection is considered pandemic by the World Health Organization. The number of people that were “killed” by AIDS from 1981 to 2006 is unbelievable—more than 25 million people. What is even more unbelievable is the current number of HIV infected people— more than 37 million people. That is why since the discovery of the HIV virus and AIDS scientists were trying to find a possible vaccine or a cure for these “world killers”.
But what is it that makes this particular vaccine so special and gives hope to the global community that the HIV virus would be finally ravaged and destroyed, the way the HIV virus has been ravaging and destroying millions of human lives for years? The new vaccine was part of a study conducted by the Thailand Ministry of Public Health in cooperation with the U.S. army. The volunteers for the study were told in advance about the possible risks associated with the vaccine before they agreed to participate. The scientists decided to conduct a combined vaccine, made out of two separate vaccines. The first contained an altered bird virus, that cannot cause a human disease and its role was to prime an immune response. While the second part of the vaccine was consisted of a genetically engineered version of a protein on HIV's surface, and it strengthened the immune response even more. The vaccines could not in any case cause the HIV virus.
However, what were the results in the end? The volunteers received actual vaccines, improvised dummies and placebo vaccines, and until the end of the study no one knew who received what, so this was a double blindfold study. New infections occurred in 51 out of 8197 given vaccines, and in 74 of the 8198 who got dummy shots. Unfortunately, 2 of the people who received placebos died. These results are truly incredible and even the scientists still cannot explain why they worked in such a great number of the infected people. They suspect the success was due to the combination of the vaccines, but they
still make further tests and research, organize conferences and meetings with influential figures and hope the new vaccine would be soon fully successful and produced for the global market.
After so many years passed since the HIV virus was discovered and after so many victims suffered this infection, the news that a possible, hypothetical sort of a vaccine has been discovered brings a lot of hope and great news, not only to the scientists, but to the whole population in general. Although it is not certain whether this vaccine would work for all HIV strands or only for the ones found in the population in Thailand, still this might be one of the greatest medical discoveries of all times. Until then it is up to us to hope, study, research and most important of all be careful, because the HIV virus is still one of the most dangerous and painful viruses, that sweeps human lives without mercy.
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