THE MINISTRY of Health is still seeking volunteers for its HIV vaccine trial, part of a worldwide effort for which 1,500 people have already volunteered.
The project, which is still in its pre-screening phase, is looking for 32 HIV-negative volunteers from 18 to 60. They are each to be injected, three times, with one vaccine type over a six-month period.
The vaccines will not contain any amount of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). One vaccine will contain a weak cold virus and the other will be a placebo.
"Participants will be followed up for four years and tested for HIV infection every six months while receiving state-of-the-art counselling to reduce risk behaviour," said chief of epidemiology and HIV/AIDS in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Figueroa.
About 20,000 persons are infected with HIV/AIDS in Jamaica.
To participate
in the trial
You must be:
Healthy
HIV-negative
Aged from 18to 60 years
Willing to spend 12 months or more in the follow-up study
What you will receive:
An initial visit for blood testing, including an HIV test, and medical examination. You will receive a few doses of either vaccine (Adenovirus 5 or placebo).
Follow-up visits with study nurses, doctors and counsellors.
Counseling to help you reduce behaviours that put you at risk for HIV infection.
You have until the end of December to sign up.
For more information contact: The Epidemiological Research
Unit at the Comprehensive Health Clinic, 55 Slipe Road
Telephone: 927-4873/922-2513
