Clinical Trials
About Clinical Trials
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VRC
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1. What is
the philosophy for volunteer recruitment at the Vaccine
Research Center?
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| The
NIH NIAID Vaccine Research Center (VRC) is dedicated to
developing a vaccine that can help control the global
HIV epidemic. We are assisted in these studies by volunteers
from the community. The vaccine studies are approved by
the U.S. FDA, the NIAID Institutional Review Board (IRB),
the NIH Institutional Biosafety Committee, several other
scientific review committees and a Community Advisory
Board. Volunteers are extensively educated and counseled
before entering a trial on the principles that underlie
the development of candidate vaccines, and are fully informed
about the potential risks and benefits of participating
in clinical trials. Our goal when engaging the public
in presentations, advertisements, or other forms of publicity
is to inform and educate people about the scope of the
HIV/AIDS epidemic, how vaccines work, and how vaccines
are developed. We consider the relationship between VRC
scientists, clinicians, and volunteers from the community
to be a partnership and collaboration. Advertisements
are used by the Vaccine Research Center as a means to
educate the local community about the global nature of
the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and to encourage voluntary participation
in clinical studies vital to developing a successful vaccine.
The advertisements used by the VRC are broad in scope
and do not intend to single out any single nation or target
population at risk. Rather, they encourage altruistic
behavior to help stem the global HIV/AIDS epidemic anywhere
on the globe. Our volunteers are extraordinary people
who graciously volunteer their time, and work closely
with us to find a solution to the global AIDS crisis.
They are people who care not only about themselves and
their immediate families, but about people in all parts
of the world. The VRC advertisements are used locally
in the Washington, D.C. area, and appeal to these altruistic
persons who genuinely want to help find a vaccine that
can help control the global HIV epidemic. They demonstrate
that all humanity has a common interest in finding a solution
to HIV/AIDS, and that we all must work together to be
successful. |
| 2.
How do you know the number of people infected with HIV? |
| Estimating the frequency of
HIV/AIDS is an inexact science and all figures should
be considered estimates. For advertisements and other
information distributed publicly the VRC relies on data
from UNAIDS and the CDC. |
If you have a question about a particular VRC
clinical trial, and it isn't answered here or elsewhere on
our website, please contact us via e-mail at VRCforlife@mail.nih.gov
or call 1-866-833-LIFE (5433).
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