HIV vaccines will result in HIV positive serologies in those people vaccinated. Everyone is aware of the discrimination, stereotypes and prejudices faced by HIV infected people. HIV positive serologies will result in the same social issues. Volunteers for the first vaccinations will have to go through training to allow them to deal with those prejudices. In fact, realizing that discrimination is a possible affect of vaccination, volunteers may be hard to come by.
HIV Positive or Vaccinated?
Another barrier in the quest for a vaccine is how to tell who is HIV infected from who has been HIV vaccinated. Those infected need treatment so it will be necessary to identify them from those vaccinated. Tests that can distinguish between the infected and the vaccinated will have to be developed.
Prevent Transmission but Infection Continues
While the goal of vaccination is to provide effective, long-term protection from HIV, scientists realize the challenge is to develop a vaccine that protects the individual as well as the masses. Most agree that vaccines currently in development will probably be better at preventing transmission from one person to another but probably will not offer long term benefits for those already infected.
As prevention funding is being reduced and the epidemic rages on in Africa, the need for an effective vaccine is as urgent and obvious as ever. But as you can see, the road to success is complicated one. And unfortunately, as of yet there is no wonder drug.
