U.S. Experts Praise Thailand Government For HIV Vaccine

(Hong Kong) — U.S. health experts are praising the government of Thailand for helping conduct controversial trials for the only vaccine so far to show progress in stopping the virus that causes AIDS.

The trials conducted by Thai health authorities, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research involved testing an experimental combination of two failed HIV vaccines on more than 16-thousand Thai volunteers.

Back in 2004, 22 prominent American scientists published a letter in “Science” magazine calling the trial a waste of money.

The U.S. and Thai governments continued with the project despite the criticism.

Donald Burke, who isolated one of the HIV strains used in the experimental vaccine, called it a difficult but courageous choice.

(Mystateline.com)