This week, a new AIDS vaccine trial got underway in Entebbe, Uganda. Researchers at the Uganda Virus Research Institute are studying possible side effects of the vaccine, which has been given to volunteers.
The vaccine is the only one in human testing “tailored for the sub-type of AIDS virus most common in east Africa, sub-type A.” All the volunteers are HIV-negative. Researchers expect to learn whether it will be effective against other sub-types of HIV.
One of the organizations that oversees and supports such research is the “International Aids Vaccine Initiative,” or IAVI. Kay Marshall, the communications director, has just returned to New York from Entebbe. She spoke to VOA English to Africa reporter Joe De Capua about the study. She says the vaccine is also being tested in Britain and Kenya. She says much more study is needed and that an effective vaccine is still at least a decade away.
Click the above links to download or listen to De Capua interview with Ms. Marshall.