Search
Search
Journalism from the heart of crises
  1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. South Africa

HIV vaccine to be tested on teenagers

    JOHANNESBURG
    The frequent changes in hormone levels normally associated with teenagers have prompted the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) to consider including youths in preventative HIV vaccine trials. Agence France Presse quoted SAAVI spokeswoman Michelle Galloway as saying: "We don't want to end up with a vaccine that won't work in teenagers, because it is believed that their high level of hormonal changes may impact on the effectiveness of a vaccine." SAAVI and the Nelson Mandela Foundation recently announced the possibility of including teenagers, noting that they were also most at risk of HIV infection. The vaccine initiative is currently testing two preventative HIV vaccine candidates in South Africa, in trials expected to take up to 10 years.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Get the day’s top headlines in your inbox every morning

    Starting at just $5 a month, you can become a member of The New Humanitarian and receive our premium newsletter, DAWNS Digest.

    DAWNS Digest has been the trusted essential morning read for global aid and foreign policy professionals for more than 10 years.

    Government, media, global governance organisations, NGOs, academics, and more subscribe to DAWNS to receive the day’s top global headlines of news and analysis in their inboxes every weekday morning.

    It’s the perfect way to start your day.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian today and you’ll automatically be subscribed to DAWNS Digest – free of charge.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join