Brisbane, Calif.
The first AIDS vaccine ever tested on a large group doesn’t work, at least not for everybody, the drug’s producer, VaxGen, reported this week. But the vaccine, Aidsvax, showed unexpected promise for African-Americans and Asians. Although whites injected with Aidsvax later became infected with HIV at the same rate as everyone else, the rate of infection for minority participants was lowered by 67 percent. Researchers said the racial disparity might be a statistical glitch, or it might indicate that different racial groups have different antibody responses to the vaccine. They called for a larger study to see if the vaccine really protects minorities. Dr. José Esparza of the United Nations AIDS agency said any hint of success was a breakthrough, making the new study “one of the most significant findings in HIV vaccine research in many years.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Controversial GOP plan to sell millions of federal acres hits major roadblockIN THE SPOTLIGHT Republican Sen. Mike Lee says he'll revisit legislation to sell millions of acres of federally held land to create 'freedom zones' of single family homes
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
5 high-concept animated science fiction shows for grown-upsThe Week Recommends How filmmakers are using a different medium to bring visionary science fiction to life
