SOUTH AFRICA: Poor turnout hampers HIV vaccine trials

JOHANNESBURG, 6 Oct 2004 (PLUSNEWS) - The low turnout of respondents for South Africa's HIV vaccine trials is threatening to undermine research efforts launched almost a year ago.

According to researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC), the fear of AIDS-related stigma and discrimination from communities had prevented people from taking part.

Despite ongoing education campaigns, misconceptions about the trials presented another obstacle, as a large number of people believed they could be infected with the HI virus by being inoculated with a test vaccine.

MRC senior clinical research nurse Armstrong Makhofola told the UN news service, PlusNews, that such fears were unfounded, "as no live viruses are injected ... the replicating parts of the virus are removed, so that the virus is like a car without a motor."

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