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Aids Vaccine

HIV vaccine is possible.

When HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS in 1984, researchers famously predicted that a preventive vaccine was right around the corner. Of course, it turned out that the task was not so easy, as in the early days of the epidemic, very little was understood about the virus. Yet in the time since, we have learned much more. In fact, we know now more about HIV/AIDS than other diseases against which vaccines have been developed.

Researchers are taking clues from the ways the body naturally responds, or fails to respond, to HIV. For example, on average 10 years elapse from the time one is infected with HIV to when the virus has done enough damage to warrant AIDS diagnosis. This means that the immune system has some ability to control HIV, albeit temporarily, and the role of a vaccine will be to boost these defenses to where they can deliver a decisive blow.

Additionally, there are rare individuals who exhibit an exceptional ability to tame the virus, an...

Posted by: Sheryl Hogges

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