HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

Although HIV was first identified in 1983, the last twenty-six years have been devoted to finding a cure and helping to make a vaccine for this devastating disease. Every year community groups, city governments, and outreach programs among many others try to spread the word about HIV vaccines. Although science has yet to provide one for this very serious disease, they hope to be close to finding one soon.

Education is the most important part of this awareness day as more people become educated about the dangers of HIV and how to prevent it, the less people become infected and the epidemic worldwide is lowered. With recent news of HIV death tolls skyrocketing in China and the potential promise of a gel that protects women from HIV, it is time now more than ever to promote HIV prevention and hope for a cure.

More and more clinical trials (involving over 25,000 HIV-negative volunteers) are starting in order to get closer to the vaccination that will eventually save millions of lives. This HIV Vaccine Awareness Day, May 18, please make sure your local community and health organizations have all the information they need to help spread the word.

Besides spreading the communal word on Monday, HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) is also a day to pause and thank the thousands of people who spread awareness everyday with their efforts against HIV. From volunteers to doctors to researchers and scientists, everyone aiding in the efforts to find a vaccine should be honored today as well. This day is a big “Thank You” to each and every one of them.

All sorts of events are going on in celebration of the 12th annual HVAD all across the United States; go to the HVAD website to join one in your area. Twelve cities around America are participating in preventative HIV trials right now, to be part of one in Atlanta, Birmingham, Boston, Chicago, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Rochester, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle and Washington go to the “Be the Generation” website http://bethegeneration.nih.gov/index.cfm funded by the National Institutes of Health.

With over 40 million people worldwide living with HIV, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has sponsored the initiative to educate people about the importance of preventative measures against HIV, especially focusing on the clinical trials needed to find a vaccine.

For over 25 years we have been plagued by the pandemic that is HIV, helping it to spread rapidly between communities and the repercussions are just now catching up with us because of the incurable nature of the disease. Make sure you educate yourself now and find out how you can help stop the spread of HIV.