HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
By: Tye Richmond
Today is Wednesday, hump day, and it is also National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. May 18 recognizes thousands of volunteers, community members, health professionals, and scientists who work together to find a safe and effective HIV vaccine.
Nationaldaycalender.com said in an article, “Over 30 years have passed since HIV was identified as the cause of AIDS. However, researchers continue in their mission to develop a vaccine. Treatments and preventative measures exist to help those impacted by HIV and AIDS. However, a viable vaccine is still the only means to prevent its spread. Today, we need to spread the word to promote awareness and education concerning HIV vaccine research.”
It continued, “Nearly 1 out of 7 people are living with HIV today. That means nearly 37.9 million people around the world are living with HIV/AIDS. Additionally, the virus seems to spread the most in the poorest and most underprivileged communities in the world. Most importantly, lack of educational information, preventative measures, and medical treatment are the leading causes of HIV spreading.”
Finding a vaccine against HIV has remained elusive. At the end of 2021, Johnson & Johnson announced that an experimental vaccine, which was the result of a 15-year effort, offered no protection against HIV acquisition.
However, efforts to develop a vaccine against HIV have not come to a halt. For instance, American pharmaceutical company Moderna is testing an HIV vaccine using the same messenger RNA vaccine technology that proved safe and effective against coronavirus. A Phase 1 clinical trial for the vaccine began in November 2021.
HIV & AIDS is still a serious issue in the world. It is key for many people with it to take the right steps to still live a healthy life. Back then there weren’t many resources to help with HIV & AIDS but now there is an abundance of resources to help people. So, if you are still struggling and need help there are resources and help centers located all around the city of Wilmington & the tri-state area. You could go to Beautiful Gate Outreach Center & Delaware HIV Consortium Inc for help.
