Single Vaccine May Halt HIV

By Charles WendoA SINGLE vaccine could in future be able to arrest the various sub-types of HIV that exist across the globe, according to the findings of Uganda’s HIV/AIDS vaccine trial.The key man in the trial, Prof. Roy Mugerwa, described the finding as “a landmark achievement.”Whereas Europe and America have mainly HIV1 subtype B, eastern Africa has predominantly subtypes A and D. Southern Africa on the other hand has mostly subtype C. Because of this variation, scientists had feared that they might be forced to design different vaccines for different parts of the world.But Mugerwa and his team now have evidence to the contrary. Between February 1999 and mid 2001, they gave each Ugandan volunteer four doses of a vaccine designed for sub-type B which is predominant in Europe and America. The injections were administered at the Joint Clinical Research Centre in Kampala.Periodically, the researchers drew blood from each volunteer and mixed it with HIV in a test tube. They found out that blood from some of the volunteers destroyed the various sub-types of HIV including A and D which are predominant in Uganda.“This experiment has shown that when you inject people with a vaccine designed for the virus which is circulating in a different population they are able to generate fighter cells which are capable of neutralising the type of virus which is circulating here. This has been a very important contribution to science,” said Mugerwa.The experiment also showed that the vaccine that was being tested in Uganda was safe and well tolerated by human beings injected with it.Prof. John Rwomushana, director of policy and research at the Uganda AIDS Commission, said that though the trial has been terminated after only one phase, Ugandans have reasons to celebrate. “This is another first for Uganda. We were the first in Africa to do this. We have every reason to celebrate,” he said.The JCRC has now acquired the necessary facilities to perform a vaccine trial. A number of Ugandan scientists, laboratory technicians and counsellors have also received the necessary training for conducting a vaccine trial.“At the JCRC we are now able to conduct any trial because we have got the equipment and we have trained people,” he said.With the experience and facilities, Uganda is likely to remain a regional leader in the search for an HIV/AIDS vaccine. In 1999 Uganda became the first African country to try an HIV/AIDS vaccine. To-date Kenya remains the only other African country to engage in a vaccine trial. Mid this year Uganda will go another step ahead by beginning the second vaccine trial, and a third one early next year.Ends