New HIV vaccine to be trialed in South Africa

A vaccine against HIV will be trialed in South Africa later this year after it met the criteria needed to prove it could help fight the epidemic in Africa.

2.1 million infections were reported in the continent in 2015, two thirds of which occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. A small trial, known as HVTN100, initially took place in South Africa in 2015 to test the safety and strength of immunity the vaccine could provide, ahead of any large-scale testing in affected populations.

Two-hundred and fifty-two healthy volunteers were enrolled to receive either the vaccine, known as ALVAC-HIV/gp120, or a placebo to compare the extent of immune response generated. The results were presented Tuesday at the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa.

“This was precautionary to see if the vaccine looks promising,” CNN reports Linda Gail Bekker, deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, and president-elect of the International AIDS Society, who is leading the vaccine trials, as saying.

Source: CCTV Africa