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lonnnnng way still
By excrucio on 11/8/2012 12:21:22 AM , Rating: 2
This was on reddit few days ago. It will be another 7-10 years before we see it on the market, if it gets all the way through. long process. but one can hope for the future

RE: lonnnnng way still
By kingmotley on 11/8/2012 4:38:22 AM , Rating: 2
If I am not mistaken (and I could be), there are certain things that can get onto a "fast track" FDA approval process that bypasses a number of the time consuming things needed. HIV cures/immunizations are one of those because of the sheer number of fatalities involved simply outweigh the possibility that you may get headaches in 20 years because of it, etc.

RE: lonnnnng way still
By MozeeToby on 11/8/2012 11:33:31 AM , Rating: 2
The fast track process has a lot to do if whether or not there are other effective treatments available. How things would balance out in this case... I'm not sure. On the one hand, the "sheer number of fatalities" from HIV/AIDS in the US is high, but not insanely so. Ten thousand people dying a year is obviously bad, but an unproven vaccine could cause much more damage, even if it's only flaw is not being effective you could see a rise in cases if it changes people's perceptions enough. But of course, this is a preventative vaccine, not a therapeutic one. I've not seen anyone saying that this will cure HIV, the idea of allowing 10's of thousands of people to get infected with a fatal disease while we wait for approval is not going to be an easy pill to swallow.

I think the real problem that a lot of people just don't realize is how hard it is going to be to actually get a vaccine to the people who need it. And I'm not even talking about places like Sub-Sahara Africa, I'm talking about poor neighborhoods on the coasts. Generally, the people who die from AIDs in the US are those who cannot afford treatment (incidentally, those are the same people who knowingly or unknowingly keep the disease spreading). Those are, again, the same people who are least likely to sign up for a vaccine; especially one that is relatively unproven.

You also have to remember that the subject is rife with conspiracy theories: at various times people have accused the US government of creating the virus (as if we have the knowledge and technology to create something as complex as HIV now, let alone 4 decades ago) to kill off blacks and/or homosexuals. And it sounds ridiculous, until you hear about things like the Tuskagee and Guatemala studies and the paranoia is more understandable.

