A.I.D.S. Vaccine To Be Tried Next Year (Press, 15 December 1986)

On 15 December 1986, Stephen Weeks of Reuters reported from Geneva that a vaccine aimed at preventing the spread of A.I.D.S. (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is set to begin human trials next year. Jonathan Mann, a specialist from the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.), indicated that while initial testing on humans could commence within four to twelve months, the efficacy of the vaccine in halting the virus remains uncertain. The first human tests will involve a small group of healthy volunteers who are not infected with the A.I.D.S. virus, aimed at identifying any side effects not observed during animal trials. This initial phase is a preliminary step towards broader "field testing" among larger population groups. Mann noted that the United States, which has reported the highest number of A.I.D.S. cases globally, does not expect a vaccine to be publicly available for another five to seven years. He described the A.I.D.S. virus as “unlike anything ever before encountered in humans,” and mentioned that some scientists believe creating an effective vaccine may be beyond current technological capabilities. According to the latest W.H.O. statistics, there have been 36,539 reported A.I.D.S. victims worldwide, with an estimated half of them deceased, mainly due to secondary infections that the immune system would normally combat. The report highlighted concerns about the many "silent carriers" of the virus, particularly across Africa, Europe, and the United States, who are infected but do not show symptoms. Mann pointed out that the virus, first identified in the United States in 1981, has a prolonged incubation period before compromising the immune system. The modes of transmission are primarily through heterosexual contact in Africa and homosexual contact or the sharing of contaminated syringes among drug users in Western countries. Mann also expressed alarm regarding the response of Latin American countries to the epidemic, which he described as classic denial and minimisation of the disease's impact. Of the 13 Latin American countries, eleven reported fewer than 1,000 cases, including Guyana and Paraguay, which reported no cases at all. Mann suggested that this indicates the potential for over 100,000 infections in Latin America, asserting that actual numbers are likely significantly underestimated. As human trials for the vaccine approach, Mann anticipated that the selection process for volunteers will incite extensive political, ethical, and social debates. To address the associated issues and facilitate the testing process, W.H.O.'s A.I.D.S. control programme convened a meeting in Geneva on 15 and 16 December, with participation from representatives of ten countries, including the United States, France, Britain, West Germany, Sweden, Italy, and several African nations. This gathering aims to streamline the process of developing and testing potential vaccines against A.I.D.S.

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