AIDS Vaccine Back to Square One

It looked so promising a few years ago, when researchers thought they were close to an AIDS vaccine. Now it looks like we're back at square one.

The Washington Post has an extensive piece today about how the search for an AIDS vaccine is "in crisis" and the participants in the study for the latest possible vaccine may have put their lives at risk. Researchers believe that the vaccine may have actually caused the immune system to become more vulnerable to the virus instead of killing it. "This is on the same level of catastrophe as the [NASA space shuttle] Challenger disaster" one researcher was quoted as saying.

Does that mean all hope is lost? Or that scientists won't be able to find vaccines and treatments for other diseases? Of course it doesn't. The human race has done much greater things, and it surely will continue to fight the good fight and look for new cures. What it does mean is that you will have to continue battling your health diagnosis as you have, and hope that scientists will not get discouraged. We'll keep you updated on progress in finding this and other vaccines. [The Washington Post]