World AIDS Vaccine Day 2024 – Theme, History, Significance & Facts

World AIDS Vaccine Day 2024: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), a disease, has been engulfing Millions of people for a long period. According to a survey by UNAIDS, in the year 2018, approximately 37.9* Million people have been affected by Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) worldwide. Raising the bar of concern, this disease is still affecting a lot of the population. Therefore, with an aim to prevent this fatal disease the ultimate treatment like vaccination was introduced in the year 1987 with the first clinical trial. World AIDS vaccine day started in the year 1998 recognizing it also as world AIDS vaccine awareness day. It is mentionable that the concept of AIDS vaccine day prominently stemmed from a commencement speech of Former US President Bill Clinton.

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World AIDS Vaccine Day Theme 2024

Let’s talk about the theme of World AIDS Vaccine Day now. The World AIDS Vaccine Day 2024 theme is related to raise awareness of AIDS and its immunisation. World AIDS Vaccine Day is a global awareness campaign with a different theme each year.

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How did the world reach this success to degenerate deadly HIV that led to AIDS vaccine day?

The journey of AIDS vaccination was never easy. It is the amalgamation of science and technology that has gifted us this day to create awareness in a form of world aids vaccine awareness day. After consuming nearly 30 years this vaccination first came into the clinical trial. The rugged efforts of researchers made the way for the development of AIDS vaccination.

Why has the HIV vaccine been this tough to introduce? 

Let’s get a general idea about the formation of AIDS vaccination. Developing this vaccine has been difficult due to several complex challenges. 

• Several types of HIV exist and the virus keeps on mutating. 
• The virus has various forms to eliminate the immune system from the body. 
• Understanding these, the scientists developed two types of vaccination: Preventive and Therapeutic.

The preventive vaccine helps the immune system recognize the HIV viruses and in taking preventive measures before it starts containing live viruses.

Therapeutic Vaccine has been made to keep the infection in control in the body and delay of further progression of the virus. 

Though there is no officially labeled licensed vaccination yet still various projects are going on and being developed.

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History of HIV Vaccine Research

Below we have provided a brief history of HIV AIDS Vaccine research. This will help us know the HIV vaccine development. 

Year	Development
1984	The U.S. HHS Secretary Margaret Heckler predicted that a vaccine for AIDS would be ready for testing within two years of its identification as a cause of AIDS.
1987	This Phase 1 trial enrolled 138 healthy, HIV-negative volunteers and did not show any serious adverse effects. It was conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
1988	Volunteers began being enrolled in the first U.S. clinical trial of NIAID’s AIDS vaccine evaluation group (AVEG).
1992	Phase 2 HIV vaccine clinical trials were launched by the NIAID. Participants in this trial were HIV-negative individuals who had a history of risky behaviors, such as injection drug use, multiple sex partners, or sexually transmitted infections. They were repeatedly warned against engaging in behaviors that could lead to HIV infection.
1998	To honor vaccine study volunteers, the first ever HIV Vaccine Awareness Day was held. More than 5,400 volunteers participated in a Phase 3 trial of the HIV vaccine AIDSVAX (VAX004) in North America and the Netherlands. The trial is the first of its kind to take place on a large scale.
1999	The first HIV vaccine trial in Africa began in Uganda with the help of NIAID. AIDSVAX (VAX003) was tested on more than 2,500 volunteers in Thailand as part of a Phase 3 trial initiated by VaxGen. As a tribute to Dale and Betty Bumpers, the newly established Vaccine Research Center (VRC) was dedicated to their work as immunization advocates.
2000	By testing and evaluating candidate vaccines in all phases of clinical trials, the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) was established by NIAID in order to develop a preventive HIV vaccine. There were 25 sites across the United States, Africa, Asia, South America, and Caribbean in the network.Uganda completed the first African HIV vaccine trial.
2003	U.S. and Thai governments started RV144 jointly, a Phase 3 trial evaluating a new HIV vaccine strategy known as “prime-boost.” The journal Science proposed the creation of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise.
2004	Phase 3 trials of both VaxGen candidates failed to provide HIV protection.
2007	Safety concerns caused the NIAID to halt the Phase 2 Step and Phambili studies.
2009	During Phase 2 of the HVTN 505 study, a “prime-boost” vaccine treatment regimen developed by the VRC was evaluated.According to the Phase 3 Thai Trial (RV144), the vaccine combination had a modest effect on human disease prevention. It was the first and only large clinical trial to demonstrate the efficacy of an investigational HIV vaccine to date, with more than 16,000 volunteers participating.
2010	Scientists at VRC have identified two powerful antibodies that neutralize most strains of HIV in the laboratory (VRC01 and VRC02).Pox-Protein Public-Private Partnership (P5), an international collaborative team dedicated to building on RV144’s modest success, was formed.
2011	The primary endpoint of HVTN 505 has been expanded to include HIV protection.
2012	Analysis of additional samples from RV144 revealed what types of immune responses could be necessary for a vaccine to work.
2013	Due to lack of efficacy, HVTN 505 immunizations were discontinued.
2015	During the Phase 1/2 HVTN 100 study, which is part of the P5 initiative, researchers examined the safety and immunogenicity of an HIV vaccine, based on RV144 results.
2016	Researchers at NIAID launched the AMP Studies to test whether infusions of the antibody VRC01 are safe, beneficial and effective at preventing HIV infection. These trials were also designed to answer fundamental scientific questions related to HIV prevention and vaccine development.HVTN 702, part of the P5 initiative, was developed in order to determine whether the RV144 HIV vaccine candidate is capable of preventing HIV infection among adults in South Africa.
2017	The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and partners launched Imbokodo or HVTN 705/HPX2008, a proof-of-concept Phase 2b study that evaluates the safety and efficacy of a new experimental regimen based on a mosaic vaccine designed to induce immune responses against a variety of global HIV strains.

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Why is World AIDS Vaccine day celebrated? 

Since the Prime Minister announced it several organizations around the world have been celebrating it as a day to spread awareness and education on this deadly disease AIDS. They focus on indoctrinating the masses about the preventive measures and make everyone’s active participation in this noble drive. People who help the victims of this disease receive appreciation on the poignant day of world AIDS vaccine day.

Every year World AIDS vaccine awareness day is celebrated with different mottos and set upon different campaigns. So what is the world AIDS vaccine day 2023 theme? The last informed global theme for World AIDS day was ‘Global solidarity, shared responsibility’ though it was the theme for 2021. 2023 is the 26th anniversary of world AIDS vaccine awareness day.

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How to spread awareness on AIDS vaccine day?

Here are some of the doable on AIDS vaccine awareness day 2023.

1. Use the potential of social media 

Doctors, organizations, and researchers share important educational information about AIDS on social media to reach the masses on this day. Being a part of this targeted mass, if you come across any of these informative writings you must share those adding trending hashtags.

2. Try your ways out to reach people 

If you are one of the professionals from any AIDS-related organization or medical person related to it then it is also your shared responsibility to spread awareness. Write a blog or submit write-ups to different organizations or websites.

3. Try to organize an event

This is one of the global matters that must awaken mass to abolish the further spread of this deadly disease. Take the help of your friends or if you are a part of any organization conduct an event. It is important to reach every nook and corner of the world and make the community understand the severity of this disease along with discussing various preventive measures with the people. You can set up an event in your community or neighborhood and make up your part.

World AIDS vaccine day does not ask for much, it just raises optimism for every person out there that the world would one day see zero imprints of HIV. One day this ray of hope would turn into zillions of light that will make sure that this deadly disease has ended itself.

Reference – HIV Vaccine Awareness Day Event

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