HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

Event Description

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) is observed annually around the world on May 18th. The day serves as an annual commemoration of the need for and commitment to the ongoing search for a vaccine. There is no vaccine for HIV. As noted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, “HIV vaccine development has been challenging largely because of the unique characteristics of the virus.” There have been continuous efforts to develop an effective HIV vaccine since the late 1980s. The clinical RV144 vaccine trial conducted in Thailand in 2009 is arguably the most successful trial to date. Scientists combined two vaccines that failed on their own, which lowered the rate of HIV infection by 31 percent. Researchers are fervently making strides to create a vaccine for HIV. The number of new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths worldwide have decreased by more than one-third in the past decade which may be attributed to the tremendous advancement of HIV prevention and treatment.