Early last year, it was said that there were over 250 vaccines on the horizon, and now many of those vaccines are coming to fruition.A Hepatitis C VaccineFirst, there are several teams of scientists here and abroad working to create a vaccine for HCV(Hepatitis C Virus). Some are being tested as vaccines for treatment as well as prevention.The most recently successful Hepatitis C Vaccine completed its first phase of human testing demonstrating that it had no adverse side effects and that it could boost the immune system against Hepatitis C for at least 1 year (it was not tested directly against the virus—that will happen much later).Since Hepatitis C is a changing virus (similar to HIV), the scientists took a different approach in creating the vaccine: stimulating T Cells that attack an internal (non-changing) part of the virus rather than creating antibodies that attack the changing outer side.
Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B are already mandatory vaccines in the US; 1.6% of the US population has been exposed to Hepatitis C, although a small percentage does not have chronic Hepatitis C—an immune response the Hepatitis C vaccine hopes to immitate. Among people born between 1945-1965 the rate of Hepatitis C is estimated to be at least 4.3%.
A Herpes Virus
STDs spread more easily than many people imagine, especially viruses that are spread through skin-to-skin contact rather strictly fluids, like Herpes (which infects about 1 in 4 people).
Because of the high rate of Herpes infections, a possible vaccine is receiving a lot of attention, although it’s still far from successful.
The closest one we have is already undergoing human testing—over 8000 sexually active women were given the Herpes vaccine or Hepatitis A vaccine, and then follow ups were performed to see what percentage developed Herpes.
The Herpes vaccine was mildly successful: it offered some protection, but not against both types of Herpes viruses (1 and 2), and it had slightly worse side effects than the Hepatitis A vaccine.
There will be several more years of development before the Herpes virus vaccine is close to ready.
What do you think of all these new vaccines? Post below:
