New vaccine to end HIV infections on the way

The Center for Disease Control Prevention is working on an HIV vaccine that could see an end to new HIV infections in Kenya.

The vaccine – HPTN-081 – is antibody-mediated prevention that involves giving antibodies to individuals to protect them from HIV infections.

Speaking during the 40th anniversary of CDC’s partnership with Kenya in Kisumu on Friday, CDC country director Dr Marc Bulterys said research is ongoing to ensure that the vaccine can be widely rolled out.

“We are already done with three trial phases of the vaccine and are working towards making more progress that can help in fully preventing HIV,” Dr Bulterys said.

“We are focusing on women because they are among the groups with a high risk of being infected,” he added.

Dr Bulterys also noted that the CDC is committed to supporting Universal Health Coverage (UHC) program in the country.

(CGTN)