HIV Vaccine studies - are there REALLY no risks involved?

Question

There's a vaccine study going on nearby where I live. Pay an average of $750 - really nice for a college student. They say its risk free....is that really true?

Check it out:

http://www.vaccineunit.org/index.aspx

Answer 1

Here's how a vaccine trial works:

You get the a shot (experimental vax or placebo -- they do not tell you). You go on with your life AS NORMAL.

The clinical trial folks do NOT shoot you up with HIV (or whatever it is they're testing you for).

The real risk is how you live the rest of your life. Do you go out and have risky sex? Do you use injection drugs? Do you get blood transfusions in third-world countries?

Yes, the MErck trials failed and that's unfortunately. but I think people don't understand what it means for a trial to fail.

In the Merck trial, when they compared the two groups: vax versus placebo, they saw that the same (small) proportions of people in each group got HIV eventually. That meant the vaccine did NOT protect the people who got it. It also meant that there were some people whose lifestyle choices made them susceptible to HIV infection.

Merck did NOT infect these people with HIV. The drug did NOT infect these people with HIV. It was the people themselves who went out and did something to contract HIV.

So is it worth it to you to join a clinical trial? Personally, I think it is good to volunteer for studies. Medicine advances because of clinical trials. Medicine advances when we allow student doctors to practice on us (yes, I have even let 3rd year med students practice on me and do my Pap smears). As someone who is medically minded, I think it's great when someone wants to help us for the betterment of science and society.

Is it risk-free? I wouldn't say that, but I think the risks are minimal. People can have the occasional adverse reaction, and well, needles hurt. So weigh that on your mind. They're on phase 3 if they're testing people at random, so that means they should have already established the level of toxicity of the experimental drug by now. I think risk of side-effects should be low, so hey, why not? I'd do it if I qualified.

Answer 2

I thought I heard recently that these studies failed. They gave it to at risk people and half developed HIV/AIDS. No one got sick from just taking the vaccine, however, just dont go "do it" with a Homosexual hemopheliac doing IV drugs. Good Luck!

Answer 3

look, that vaccine against HIV failed. It was by Merck Pharmaceutical. They tried this vaccine on 3,000 people and it failed. the people resulted in being HIV positive.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/science/ci_6977526


this is the link to the article. whatever u do , don't do it. I hope this helps. goodluck

P.S. the minute you get the vaccine you become seropositive for HIV, meaning that to the whole world you are now hiv positive.

Answer 4

EWWEE I would NEVER let someone infect me purposely with the HIV virus wether it was full proof or not.NO WAY.

Answer 5

there is always risk in any medical research.