Kenya begins enrollment for Phase I vaccine trial

The Kenya AIDS Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) at the University of Nairobi began enrolling volunteers in a Phase I AIDS vaccine trial in January. The trial, IAVI V001, is sponsored by IAVI in collaboration with the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). It was initially started in Rwanda and was expected to enroll a total of 64 volunteers in these countries. However after early success in recruiting volunteers the target number for both countries will be increased, pending regulatory approval by the local Institutional Review Boards in Kigali and Nairobi.

Sabina Wakasiaka, a nurse counselor from KAVI, credits the successful enrollment rates to outreach programs conducted in the last few years, which have helped to increase the vaccine literacy among many community organizations. The trial staff at KAVI is promoting initiatives to recruit more women for this trial, including holding community seminars within homes or offices targeting only women.

This is one of many ongoing trials testing the safety and immunogenicty induced by a "prime-boost" vaccination regimen with a DNA plasmid vaccine and an adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vector that was developed at the VRC (seeVAX November 2005 Global News, First AIDS vaccine trial starts in Rwanda).