AIDS vaccine being tested in China

China has begun clinical trials of an AIDS vaccine on volunteers, the Xinhua news agency reported. The first group consists of eight people (four men and four women) who have already completed pre-test preparation and signed the necessary documents. In total, 49 people aged 18 to 50 will take part in the trials of the new vaccine. Research will be held in three stages, the first will last 14 months. It will be possible to make a conclusion about the effectiveness of the vaccine and its safety for humans only after the completion of the second stage.

Around the world, including Russia, 35 different AIDS vaccines are currently being tested, but all research is also at an early stage.

According to official figures, there are 840,000 HIV-infected people in China. The UN warns that if the necessary measures are not taken, by 2010 the number of HIV carriers in China could rise to 10 million people.