| HIV Vaccine Awareness Day - May 18.
May 18th marks the seventh annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. It is a day
to educate Americans about the urgent need for preventive HIV vaccines and
to thank participants in HIV vaccine trials for their selfless dedication to
ending the HIV pandemic. This year's theme is "Real People, Real
Progress," embodying the thousands of volunteers and researchers
involved in the search for effective preventive HIV vaccines.
HIV/AIDS continues to devastate communities in the United States and around
the world. Approximately 40 million people worldwide are estimated to be
living with HIV/AIDS. In the United States, nearly one million people are
living with HIV/AIDS, and more than 40,000 people become infected with HIV
each year. HIV is the number one killer of African-American men between the
ages of 25 and 44, and the third leading cause of death among Latinos
between the ages of 35 and 44. It also is the third leading cause of death
among all women between the ages of 25 and 44.
While people of color are over represented among U.S. HIV/AIDS cases, they
are underrepresented in U.S. preventive HIV vaccine trials. Many reasons
account for this, but one fact remains resolutely and absolutely clear: when
we find a vaccine we will want to be able to show that it works for everyone
regardless of their race, ethnicity or gender. To accomplish this, all
communities must be involved in the search for a vaccine. Future trials will
require more individuals to volunteer than ever before, and those
individuals must be representative of the most affected communities.
NIAID's Vaccine Research Center, the NIAID-supported HIV Vaccine Trials
Network and our colleagues in the public and private sectors are leading the
effort to test HIV vaccines. Many community-based and national organizations
are working with NIAID and taking a strong leadership role in educating
their constituents about ongoing research by providing accurate, timely and
culturally relevant information.
For the second year in a row, the day will be commemorated with a twist on a
familiar symbol of AIDS awareness, the red ribbon. I ask you to wear your
AIDS ribbon upside-down to symbolize a "V" for vaccines and the
vision of a world without AIDS. Ultimately, this vision is our best hope for
all. And it is in this spirit of hope that I join with those in the United
States and the world in commemorating and honoring this valiant effort.
To learn about HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, visit http://www.niaid.nih.gov/newsroom/mayday/
.
For information about HIV vaccine research, visit http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov,
or call 1-800-HIV-0440.
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