Merck & Co., the American pharmaceutical company, recently announced that it has conducted human trials for an AIDS vaccine, yielding promising results. India has also reported that its AIDS vaccine is expected to be available on the market within the next four years. These optimistic declarations open up new prospects for treating the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The vaccine from Merck & Co. is named MRKAd5. Scientists have modified the HIV virus by cutting three of its genes and attaching them to an adenovirus—a common cold virus—transforming it into a vehicle that targets and destroys all T4 immune cells infected with HIV. Merck & Co. has tested the vaccine on 1,500 individuals, and the results showed that it activated a response from the immune system that was twice as strong. India announced that its AIDS vaccine underwent initial trials in September at the National AIDS Research Institute. India currently has 5.1 million people living with HIV, ranking second in the world after South Africa.
However, according to health experts, one should not be overly optimistic about the availability of an AIDS vaccine this year. The Thai company VAxgen had success in small trials, but when tested on tens of thousands of people, it proved ineffective in providing protection. Dr. Trinh Quan Huan, the Deputy Minister of Health, stated: “Successfully producing a vaccine in a laboratory or even achieving success in animal trials, including some successful developments in a few volunteers, does not guarantee success in real-world applications. This is just the initial phase; if this vaccine indeed proves effective, it will take several more years before it can be practically applied against HIV/AIDS.”
The number of people infected with HIV worldwide has reached 40 million. In Vietnam, this number is about 100,000, with 16,000 individuals having progressed to AIDS and 9,000 reported deaths. The actual number of infections is likely much higher and spreading rapidly. We need $25 million per year to purchase enough medication for all patients, but the current funding is only 1/20 of what is required. As a result, very few patients have access to antiretroviral drugs.
AIDS remains an incurable disease. Avoiding drugs, not sharing needles, and practicing safe sex are still the most effective methods for preventing AIDS.