HIV vaccine would be ‘incredibly exciting’ if successful | Local News

Research is being done on a vaccine against HIV, and the first round of testing indicates positive signs.

The vaccine was tested on about 50 people, according to a study published recently in Science journal by Scripps Research scientists.

Public access could be a long way off, with thousands of subjects likely needed, but the early research holds promise, said Eariana Stockton, a case manager with the Andrew County Health Department.

“Historically, vaccines have been the most effective way in preventing infectious disease,” she said. “So that is incredibly exciting that it’s made it through the first phase of that. However, obviously, there’s still a lot of research to be done on that. I think it would be great.”

Many people, particularly those who are sexually active and considered at-risk, will use a pre-exposure prophylaxis to almost completely reduce the risk of contracting HIV. People who already have HIV can take post-exposure prophylaxis. But both medications must be taken daily, as opposed to a vaccine shot that can be administered much less frequently.

The vaccine has only finished its first round of testing and involves a pair of shots about every two months as opposed to daily medications.

“There’s still a lot of research that still has to be done in that, but obviously vaccines are cost-effective and safe and it’s just less of a hassle than having to remember to take medication every day,” Stockton said.

It also could help because there still are widely held stigmas against the PrEP, PEP preventives and HIV as a whole, she said.

“I think we just have to continue to educate on that, on HIV,” Stockton said. “It’s not really just one specific type of person who gets it. Anyone can really get HIV.”

While having widespread access to an HIV vaccine in the future would be helpful, it wouldn’t change the importance of providing education about safe sexual practices, she said.