[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 18, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3904-S3905]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HIV VACCINE AWARENESS DAY
Mr. COBURN. Mr. President, I rise today to express grave concern
regarding the misplaced priority of annually deeming this day, May 18,
HIV Vaccine Awareness Day. This year marks the 13th annual observance
of a day that epitomizes our government's inability to set priorities
with the Federal dollars this body is entrusted.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases, NIAID, Web site:
This annual observance is a day to recognize and thank the
thousands of volunteers, community members, health
professionals, and scientists who are working together to
find a safe and effective HIV vaccine. It is also a day to
educate our communities about the importance of preventive
HIV vaccine research.
As a practicing physician and former cochair of the Presidential
Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS, I believe the development of a safe
and effective HIV vaccine should be among our Nation's highest health
care priorities. HIV/AIDS continues to devastate communities in the
United States and around the world. In the United States, more than
50,000 people become infected with HIV each year. Approximately 40
million people are living with HIV around the world, with more than 5
million new infections each year. To date, more than 25 million men,
women and children are believed to have died from AIDS worldwide.
Unfortunately, we have not yet developed an effective HIV/AIDS
vaccine--nor are we close. At a time when our national debt is
approaching $13 trillion and patients suffering from HIV/AIDS are being
put on waiting lists for life-saving drug treatments, we simply cannot
afford to misspend $1 million a year to make people aware of a
nonexistent vaccine.
Furthermore, this well-intentioned propaganda campaign is being
funded at the expense of HIV vaccine research itself. Regardless of the
intentions, the unfortunate fact is that finite resources intended for
HIV vaccine research are being siphoned away for a project without any
potential scientific benefit. With no effective vaccine likely anytime
soon, it seems silly, or worse, to waste funding that could be much
better spent on research or scientific investments that could one day
lead to a vaccine.
The discovery of a vaccine or cure, after all, would be the best way
to thank the researchers and volunteers. As every cent counts in this
endeavor, it is unconscionable that precious dollars are being
squandered by NIAID's well intentioned but unnecessary public relations
campaign.
Between 2001 and 2005, NIH spent more than $5.2 million on this ``HIV
vaccine awareness'' campaign, not including staff time or travel
expenses. It is reasonable to assume that the federal government
continues to waste over $1 million annually on HIV vaccine awareness,
despite the fact that no vaccine exists and scientists believe that it
is unlikely that a HIV vaccine will be developed anytime soon.
Some of the HIV Vaccine Awareness Day events supported in the past
include various lunch and dinner receptions, a fashion show in
Massachusetts, a bar night in Tennessee, a bar event and entertainment
contest in Washington, and other gatherings and media events. Clearly,
this awareness campaign serves no obvious public health or scientific
value.
There is no doubt, however, that development of an HIV/AIDS vaccine
should be a national priority. HIV/AIDS continues to devastate
communities in the United States and around the world. At least 56,000
Americans become infected with HIV each year. More than 33 million
people are living with HIV around the world, with more than 2.5 million
new infections each year. To date, more than 20 million men, women and
children are believed to have died from AIDS worldwide.
The development of a safe and effective HIV vaccine should be among
our Nation's highest health care priorities. It imperative that not a
single dollar of the Federal funds set aside for the development of an
effective HIV vaccine is wasted.
This year, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of
Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, highlighted what he called
``significant progress in HIV vaccine research during the past year.''
The study he referred to was a clinical trial in Thailand finding a
vaccine to be 31 percent effective at preventing HIV infection.
Unfortunately, the results of this study have been found to be
statistically insignificant and the findings of the study have received
much skepticism. This latest clinical trial is the latest in a long
line of promising but unsuccessful attempts at creating an HIV/AIDS
vaccine.
Dr. Fauci in recent years has conceded publicly that no one has been
very close to developing a vaccine that would prevent infection. Over
the past 5 years, in fact, two large clinical trials of HIV vaccines
have failed to demonstrate efficacy of the candidate being tested. The
disputed Thailand trial aside, this is still the case today.
Most scientists involved in AIDS research believe that an HIV vaccine
is further away than ever and some have admitted that effective
immunization against the virus may never be possible, according to a
survey conducted released in 2008.
A poll of scientists reflects the declaration made at a NIH ``summit
meeting'' in 2008 that was ``tantamount to an admission that almost no
progress has been made in the search for an AIDS vaccine in the past 25
years and that something close to new start is necessary.'' The
government scientists announced that ``more of their budget needs to be
spent on basic lab research and less on testing the current crop of
vaccines, none of which has proved useful in human trials.'' In light
of these failures and daunting prospects, Dr. Fauci pledged to re-
evaluate the use of all $1.5 billion his agency spends on AIDS noting
that ``we are going to have to justify what we are doing.''
Dr. Anthony Fauci has noted that while Federal funding for the
National Institutes of Health, NIH, continues to increase, it will not
increase as quickly as it has the past decade, and as a result, NIH
must concentrate on more promising research. Fauci said the heads of
NIH institutes such as his had been told to reexamine the entire
research portfolio to ensure ``the most bang for the buck.'' The AIDS
vaccine candidates that don't show early results in clinical trials
could be shut down, he said.
That may mean cutting back some AIDS vaccine research even though
virtually all health experts agree a vaccine will be the only way to
stop the pandemic of a virus that is incurable, always fatal and that
continues to spread worldwide and in the U.S.
As I have done in the past, I am sending a letter today to the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to inquire about this misuse of
funds. It is my sincere hope that the Department of Health and Human
Services will cease spending Federal dollars on this misplaced priority
and reinvest these HIV/AIDS dollars into actual research or care.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record
my letter dated May 18, 2010, to Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
[[Page S3905]]
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC, May 18, 2010.
Hon. Kathleen Sebelius,
Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services,
Washington, DC.
Dear Secretary Sebelius: As a practicing physician and
former co-chair of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV
and AIDS, I believe the development of a safe and effective
HIV vaccine should be among our nation's highest health care
priorities. HIV/AIDS continues to devastate communities in
the United States and around the world. In the United States,
more than 50,000 people become infected with HIV each year.
To date, more than 25 million men, women and children are
believed to have died from AIDS worldwide.
During this time of fiscal restraint when our nation is
faced with an approximately $13 trillion national debt and
over 1,000 individuals on waiting lists for life-saving HIV/
AIDS drug treatments, we must be careful that not a single
dollar that could pay off this debt or serve some other vital
service--such as developing an HIV vaccine--is diverted for
less important purposes.
According to the National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) website, May 18, 2010 marks the
thirteenth annual HIV Vaccine Awareness Day: ``This annual
observance is a day to recognize and thank the thousands of
volunteers, community members, health professionals, and
scientists who are working together to find a safe and
effective HIV vaccine. It is also a day to educate our
communities about the importance of preventive HIV vaccine
research.''
In addition to my concern that these funds are diverted
from the more important goals of developing a vaccine or
providing care to patients in need, HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
has been marked by specific examples of wasteful spending. In
the past, related expenditures have included various lunch
and dinner receptions, a fashion show in Massachusetts, a bar
night in Tennessee, a bar event and entertainment contest in
Washington, and other gatherings and media events.
Would you please provide:
(1) The total amount of federal funding that was spent to
promote ``HIV Awareness Day'' in 2010 and for each fiscal
year since its inception in 2001, including staff time and
travel costs;
(2) If this event is planned for next year please, an
estimate of its likely cost;
(3) A list of all organizations that received funding from
NIAID as part of ``HIV Vaccine Awareness Day'' since its
inception and a description of the activities performed with
these funds; and
(4) The total amount NIH has spent on actual HIV vaccine
research in each year from fiscal year 2001 through 2010.
Thank you for your attention to this request. I look
forward to a prompt reply.
Sincerely,
Senator Tom Coburn, MD.
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