AIDS vaccine years away, researchers warn

A vaccine for AIDS is still years away, warns a new report, with progress being hampered by a lack of scientific, political and economic interest.

Only one vaccine candidate has been tested fully to see if it can work in humans, says Seth Berkley, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), which released its progress report on Monday. “That is a global disgrace,” he says. “There hasn’t been a serious effort.”

Data on so-called cell-mediated vaccines - which invoke the response of the body’s T-cell system - will be available by 2010. Providing the data are positive, this is the earliest point at which an AIDS vaccine will be close to becoming a reality, Berkley says. Read more >>