Leveraging lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic for HIV

Abstract

The rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines and their deployment in less than a year is an unprecedented scientific, medical, and public health achievement. This rapid development leveraged knowledge from decades of HIV/AIDS research and advances. However, the search for an HIV vaccine that would contribute to a durable end to the HIV pandemic remains elusive. Here, we draw from the US government experience and highlight lessons learned from COVID-19 vaccine development, which include the importance of public-private partnerships, equitable inclusion of populations impacted by the infectious pathogen, and continued investment in basic research. We summarize key considerations for an accelerated and re-energized framework for developing a safe and efficacious HIV vaccine.

Keywords: HIV infections; Medical research; SARS-CoV-2; Viral infection.

Fig. 1. A combination prevention toolbox has applications both for HIV and COVID-19.

For both HIV and COVID-19, a combination prevention toolbox has the potential to reduce the transmission and number of new infections to control the pandemics.

Fig. 2. Merging US government centers of excellence for COVID-19.

The Countermeasures Acceleration Group, formerly known as Operation Warp Speed, is a partnership between the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) with the mission to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.