AIDS Institute commemorates HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

People who live with HIV/AIDS and their supporters marked HIV Vaccine Awareness Day yesterday, with their hopes put in the research to find a vaccine to prevent HIV infection. #

The Aids Institute highlights on HIV Vaccine Awareness Day the progress that has been made in vaccine research and development, but for now the search continues. #

The institute points out that minorities are disproportionally impacted. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Blacks and Hispanics represent more than half of all HIV/AIDS cases in the United States. According to the Florida Bureau of HIV/AIDS (pdf.) by 2009 Black men and women had the highest rate of HIV infection, and they also had the highest death rates. A 2009 report (pdf.) indicates that Florida ranked third in the U.S. for reported AIDS cases by 2008 and third among 38 for reported HIV cases. #

Daniel C. Montoya Deputy, Executive Director National Minority AIDS Council, said in a statement that despite the disproportionate impact HIV has on African American and Latino communities, “these same communities are often under-represented in HIV vaccine trials.” #