HIV Vaccine Awareness Day 2023: Hard lessons, innovation & new directions

May 17, 2023

Dear Advocate,

May 18th is recognized as HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD), and this year it is a time of deep reflection and potential. Three major HIV vaccine trials have ended in no efficacy since 2020, but the field knows more than ever that a vaccine is still needed for a durable and sustainable end to the pandemic – and has new insights into possible vaccine strategies that might one day effectively protect against HIV.

This year, AVAC and CASPR partners are casting a spotlight on the many issues and opportunities for HVAD 2023. Check it all out here! And read on for details about a wide range of new resources.

New Px Pulse Podcast Episode!

Listen to the newest Px Pulse podcast, Evolving Strategies for an HIV Vaccine: One researcher explains where the field is going and why, featuring Katy Stephenson of Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research. In conversation with AVAC's Jeanne Baron, Katy provides an accessible breakdown of where the field of HIV vaccine research is, including details on recent trial results that proved ineffective and what’s next (and exciting) in HIV vaccine advocacy and research.

Save the Date for Two Upcoming Webinars!

What’s All the Buzz About: mRNA, manufacturing, vaccines access
Thursday, June 1 at 10am ET / 4pm SAST
Featuring Caryn Fenner of Afrigen Biologics, Ike James of Medicines Patent Pool, and Mike Frick of Treatment Action Group. Register here.
To bNAb or not to bNAb? The case for broadly neutralizing antibodies
Wednesday, June 7 at 10 AM ET / 4 PM SAST
Featuring Slim Abdool Karim of CAPRISA, Pervin Anklesaria of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Khadija Richards of Wits RHI, and Huub Gelderblom of HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN). Register here.

CASPR Partner and Collaborator HVAD Events
Communities across the globe will be engaged in a wide array of events focused on HIV vaccine awareness in the coming days. Here, we provide details on activities the Coalition to Accelerate & Support Prevention Research (CASPR) partners are leading – be sure to watch AVAC’s Twitter for real-time highlights!

Africa Free of New HIV Infections (AFNHi) conducted a special HVAD episode of its Vuka Afrika show earlier today. If you didn’t tune in live, you can view the recording on YouTube.
Advocacy for Prevention of HIV and AIDS (APHA) and The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation are hosting an in-person event on HIV vaccine research in collaboration with Vuka Research Centre May at 11 AM to 2 PM SAST at Philippi Village, Cape Town.
Zambia’s Treatment Advocacy and Literacy Campaign (TALC) hosted a vaccine research literacy session at the Centre for Family Health Research in Lusaka, Zambia on May 12. TALC is also organizing an HVAD march on May 18 in Lusaka to raise vaccine literacy and awareness.
Uganda Network of AIDS Service Organizations (UNASO) is hosting a press conference on May 18 to discuss research happening in-country and the importance of community involvement in research. UNASO will follow this press conference with a candlelight memorial on May 19.
APHA and Wits RHI are co-hosting a National Stakeholder Engagement Forum focused on HIV vaccine research in South Africa on May 29, 2 PM SAST / 3 PM EAF / 9 AM ET. Register here.
IAVI’s ADVANCE program is hosting a regional HVAD conference in Johannesburg, South Africa on May 30, in collaboration with the Aurum Institute and SAHTAC. The conference aims to promote collaboration, partnership, and knowledge-sharing among HIV vaccine stakeholders. To attend virtually, register here.
While not a CASPR event, we are excited to join the HIV.gov webinar on HVAD – Live with Leadership: A Conversation Commemorating National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day – with a panel that includes PxROAR member Julie Patterson.

New Series of Advocate Briefs

In the weeks to come, we'll release From the Lab to the Jab, a series of briefs on next generation vaccine research and development; the basics of mRNA technology; initiatives that support local manufacturing; and understanding and overcoming barriers that undermine equitable access to vaccines. Each brief also highlights the advocacy needed to keep these efforts on track and in line with what communities need and want.

Updated HIV Vaccine Primers

Phase 1 mRNA HIV Vaccine Trials, a snapshot of current HIV mRNA trials, and a primer on the basics of mRNA technology.
Experimental Medicine Vaccine Trials (EMVTs), a two-page primer on EMVTs and their role in HIV prevention research.

As the science continues to advance, we hope these resources inform our collective advocacy. With the knowledgeable voices of advocates guiding the response, scientific successes will not be squandered, communities won’t be left behind, programs will be people-centered, and epidemics will end.

Best,
AVAC

P.S. Ever wondered why May 18th is HIV Vaccine Awareness Day? On May 18, 1997, then-US President Clinton gave the commencement address at Morgan State University and set a national goal of developing an AIDS vaccine – and established the NIH’s Vaccine Research Center, which has pioneered HIV vaccine and antibody research and led to the licensure of the COVID-19 mRNA and new RSV vaccines. ”It is no longer a question of whether we can develop an AIDS vaccine, it is simply a question of when. And it cannot come a day too soon.” Watch the full speech here.