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Smallpox Vaccine Could Prevent AIDS
An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at George Mason University have published a preliminary report which suggests that the Smallpox vaccine might be able to slow the spread of AIDS. Various news stories have suggested that it may be due to the vaccine interacting with the CCR5 receptor, which is a cellular infection route in another related poxvirus, and also commented on the rise of AIDS in the years after smallpox was declared eradicated and the smallpox vaccine was no longer given as a matter of course."
Yes, but the sexual behavior of the US military is hardly indicative of the larger population.
But there is another kind of evil that we must fear most... and that is the indifference of good men.
While your point is valid, the military should have excellent records as to cases of AIDS among its personnel. So while they wouldn't be able to compare against the general population, they could compare against the expected number based on military statistics.
Of course, troop behaviour changes depending on deployment, so it may still be impossible to generate statistically-significant results.
On the other hand, there is also the population of health care workers who were vaccinated. Study them.
I just hope that people don't use this announcement, and others like it, to convince theirselves that it's a-okay to go out there and bleep people without protection. I remember reading recently a story, I believe it was in the New York Times but I might be mistaken, that more and more youths (teenagers to those in their upper 20s), feel that AIDS and other STDs are under enough control that they no longer need to use preventive measures.
I've seen two people I cared about very much die due to AIDS over the years. It's a horrible and painful way to go, both for the person infected and for the family and friends involved. If a risk only involves you, that's one thing. But the risk of AIDS involves you, your partner(s), and those who care and love you.