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."

Comments

HIV+AIDS=Biggest Hoax of 20th century

[GojiraDeMonstah]

HIV exists. AIDS exists. But HIV does not cause AIDS. The misconception is responsible for millions of unnecessary deaths, public hysteria, and of course lots of money for the pharm cos and research behemoths.

Check out virusmyth.org. I won't reprise their literature here. But it's VERY VERY VERY important to distinguish between HIV and AIDS... even if you think there is a cause/effect relationship. HIV is the virus, AIDS is the set of symptoms purportedly (but not) caused by the virus.