Public health considerations for the use of a first generation HIV vaccine. Report from a WHO-UNAIDS-CDC consultation, Geneva, 20-21 November 2002.

SUMMARY: To accelerate the development and future availability of safe, effective and affordable HIV vaccines it is essential to address not only the associated biomedical obstacles, but also the logistic aspects that would guide the introduction and use of those vaccines. It is likely that initial vaccines may only be partially effective, and their public health use will have to be carefully considered. This report summarizes the discussions from a consultation held in Geneva (20-21 November 2002) organized by the World Health Organization (WHO), the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The group identified a number of logistic issues that need to be addressed to accelerate the development and future availability of HIV vaccines, and made broad recommendations in four different areas: (a) Vaccine manufacturing and licensing; (b) vaccination acceptability and social marketing; (c) immunisation strategies and delivery; and (d) access and economic issues. The implementation of these recommendations will require the participation of multiple stakeholders in the public and private sector, in industrialized and developing countries. These actions will be essential to ensure widespread and rapid access to HIV vaccines globally, soon after their efficacy is demonstrated in clinical trials.