Doctor vows to continue selling HIV “wonder” vaccine

A Nigerian surgeon who claims discovery of a vaccine for HIV vowed on Wednesday to continue selling his product despite a government ban on such sales, AFP reported. A spokesman for Dr. Jeremiah Abalakka told AFP at his clinic just outside Abuja, the Nigerian capital, he not been officially informed of the ban announced on television. The prohibition of the sale of all locally produced HIV (Human Immuno-deficiency Virus) drugs was announced on 20 July by Health Minister Tim Menakaya. He said the drugs would remained banned until scientifically tested. In June, the Nigerian Academy of Sciences (the country’s leading science honour society) criticised Abalaka for refusing to have his vaccine tested. The academy described Abalaka’s claims of an HIV cure as having “extremely weak or non-existent scientific basis”. Nevertheless, desperate HIV sufferers have been flocking to his clinic. AFP reported on Wednesday Abalaka was charging around US $250 for a shot of his vaccine. The patient is required to have at leave five weekly shots for the vaccine to work, AFP said, quoting him.