HIV vaccine?

[Barb]

BANGKOK - For the first time, an experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the AIDS virus, a watershed event in the deadly epidemic and a surprising result. Recent failures led many scientists to think such a vaccine might never be possible.

The World Health Organization and the U.N. agency UNAIDS said the results “instilled new hope” in the field of HIV vaccine research, although researchers say it likely is many years before a vaccine might be available.

The vaccine — a combination of two previously unsuccessful vaccines — cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31 percent in the world’s largest AIDS vaccine trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, researchers announced Thursday in Bangkok.

Read more here

Since there are different strains of HIV throughout the world, I can understand that having a true vaccine to prevent infection (like we now have for measles and mumps) is a long way off, but this is great news.

 

[ferrari-kun187]

wow, science is amazing!

 

[Maxim Posthumus]

Vaccines are evil. They cause autism.

I blame THEM for me being anti-social.

 

[Transfinite]

I'm just going to pretend Maxim was taking the piss.

Yay HIV vaccine!

 

[Steven]

It has only tested to increase the prevention rate by 31%. Yes, it is a great start to towards treatment, but don't take this as serious as many people are taking the swine flu.

 

[Our Wasted Years]

Science ftw.

 

[Lil Brother]

*claps* Yay, this is wonderful! ^^ Every step is something, at least. Hopefully the day a consistently potent vaccine becomes commonplace is sooner rather than later.

 

[Æsahættr]

I am absolutely over the moon about this; it's great news.

 

[Patchy]

It's great, but I hope it doesn't mean people will be careless.

There's still that 69% chance.

 

[Perxio]

I saw it on Discovery News! Just...just...yay. <333 All I can say.

It's great, but I hope it doesn't mean people will be careless.

There's still that 69% chance.

^ I agree.

 

[Sliv]

That put a smile on my face. Best of luck to them

 

[phantomness]

Oh, I totally agree with Pensk. But maybe this will help all those orphans in Africa...

 

[Steven]

Even if people are injected with this vaccine, having sex with a condom also won't even prevent it 100%.

 

[Maxim Posthumus]

I'm just going to pretend Maxim was taking the piss.

Yay HIV vaccine!

Sorry Ket. But the fact that there is a connection between vaccines and autism can't be ignored. So many authorities claimed that and then it was suddenly silenced. It's really suspicious and there has to be some connection.

What you say is totally ignorant. Not to mention that vaccines ARE harmful. Sometimes they're even more harmful than the illness that they're supposed to prevent. Like those flu vaccines (I mean regular flu here). I know instances of people who got into real shit after being injected with flu vaccine.

Of course, it's not that EVERY vaccines cause that but some certainly do. I think that vaccines are generally evil and were invented by a masochist idiot (like many other things were).

Not to go off-topic ('cause it's not a general "what you think about vaccines" thread), I'm skeptical about that HIV vaccine, to be honest. HIV is a virus after all, they mutate in order to be immune to known ways of prevention. Even if the vaccine will be successful (which is doubtful, it's still in early stages, yet people are wetting themselves of excitement), there'll certainly be a new wave of HIV. It's a shit that it's impossible to beat. TREATMENT is what can really defeat HIV and/or AIDS. And we're centuries away from inventing it.

There's no point in being to excited. There's nothing optimistic to it at all. With such things, I'm always skeptical.

Oh noez HIV vaccine!

 

[7tx]

Dude, theres a slight link between some vaccines and you're saying they're EVIL? Vaccines are not evil. They prevent many diseases, and on the whole do alot more good for humanity than harm.
I do agree with Pensk, the vaccine is not 100% effective and should not be treated as the "end of AIDS", but hopefully it can be developed further and become a real tool to be used to erradicate the virus.

 

[Transfinite]

What's your source on this, Maxim? Vaccinations have gone up and autism has gone up, is that your argument? Correlation does not equal causation.

 

[Steven]

Dude, theres a slight link between some vaccines and you're saying they're EVIL? Vaccines are not evil. They prevent many diseases, and on the whole do alot more good for humanity than harm.
I do agree with Pensk, the vaccine is not 100% effective and should not be treated as the "end of AIDS", but hopefully it can be developed further and become a real tool to be used to erradicate the virus.

It is just merely a treatment, not a cure.

Maxim's take on vaccines is... a little misguided. Yes, they do have side effects, but I believe he needs to understand that they do do more good than harm, and I am saying this with the fact that meds have variant effects on humans in mind.

 

[Eevee]

But the fact that there is a connection between vaccines and autism can't be ignored. So many authorities claimed that and then it was suddenly silenced. It's really suspicious and there has to be some connection.

Meanwhile, while the conspiracy theorists are telling a bunch of clueless parents to avoid vaccines to stick it to The Man, unvaccinated children are catching serious diseases we have already eradicated and dying. But hey, at least they're not succumbing to an unsubstantiated link to autism.

Not to mention that vaccines ARE harmful. Sometimes they're even more harmful than the illness that they're supposed to prevent. Like those flu vaccines (I mean regular flu here). I know instances of people who got into real shit after being injected with flu vaccine.

Yes. Surprise. Medicine always carries an inherent risk. Vaccines in particular are ultimately meant to kill something. If you are fine with getting the flu over risking whatever side effects, then don't get the vaccine.

I think that vaccines are generally evil and were invented by a masochist idiot (like many other things were).

Yes, what an asshole, trying to wipe smallpox off the face of the planet (and succeeding). Some 15 million people a year dying. But at least they weren't autistic!

I'm skeptical about that HIV vaccine, to be honest. HIV is a virus after all, they mutate in order to be immune to known ways of prevention.

Smallpox is caused by a virus. Smallpox is also the only disease humanity has ever completely eradicated. With a vaccine!

TREATMENT is what can really defeat HIV and/or AIDS. And we're centuries away from inventing it.

So, what, let's just ignore the vaccine and catch HIV and wait centuries for someone to come up with a cure? Good plan, bro.

There's no point in being to excited. There's nothing optimistic to it at all. With such things, I'm always skeptical.

You do skeptics a healthy disservice by associating yourself with them, good sir. You're just being needlessly pessimistic and cynical.

Progress takes time. And the world is not always out to get you.

 

[Steven]

Is Maxim agoraphobic?

 

[TheFlamingBooger]

Quagmire: "See ya later, baby! Uh-oh, I got AIDS again. Better take my Ny-Quil for cold, flu, and AIDS." GULP! "All gone!"

-reference to the season premier on Sunday. If you haven't seen it yet, WATCH IT NOW!!!