Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Sunday Times - Sunday November 16 , 2003
Ilse Fredericks
Dr Andrew Robinson, head of the MRC's HIV Vaccine Research Unit, said that recruitment efforts had so far resulted in responses mainly from the African and white communities.
The first volunteer in Durban, Mduduzi Nkosi of Umlazi, was injected on Monday.
Robinson said it was important to vaccinate people from all race groups, as "each group has a slightly different genetic make-up".
"At this stage, researchers do not know if the vaccine will be safe in all groups unless it is tested in each group. Similarly, researchers do not know if it will work in every race group, so that work also needs doing."
To ensure that a demographically representative group was enrolled , recruitment efforts in the Indian and coloured groups would be needed.
The aim of the trials was to find a safe, effective, affordable and locally relevant vaccine. Volunteers could not become infected with HIV by the vaccine.
Robinson said about 70 people would be enrolled for the trials. Thirty had so far been screened, but not all had satisfied the criteria.
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