New vaccine for HIV patients

Scientists have announced a new vaccine, still in trial, which could allow HIV/AIDS patients a hiatus from their normal and difficult daily drug regimen. It is not a cure, but it does alter and maybe make more easy the traditional treatments.

"The Takeaway" talks to Dr. Barry Peters, an AIDS researcher at King’s College in London, about the vaccine.

Dr. Peters says, "It’s a fairly new concept — its a theraputic vaccine. In other words, it’s a vaccine that is given to someone who has the disease, in this case, HIV, in order to boost the immune system. Drugs work completely differently; they simply block the virus and do not help the immune system.

The idea of this vaccine, which I stress is still in the testing phase, is to boost the body’s natural immune system."

This immune system boost could conceivably prevent someone who is HIV positive from contracting the full-blown AIDS virus.

"The Takeaway" is PRI’s new national morning news program, delivering the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what’s ahead. The show is a co-production of WNYC and PRI, in editorial collaboration with the BBC, The New York Times Radio, and WGBH.

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