[Memorandum to Acting Deputy Director for Intramural Research, NIH from F. William Dommel, Jr.]

NIH LIBRARY TRANSLATION

EMBASSY OF FRANCE
IN ZAIRE
Kinshasa, April 29, 1991
MISSION OF COOPERATION
AND CULTURAL ACTION
No. 1616/SG
FRANCO-ZAIRIAN COOPERATION WITHIN THE DOMAIN OF AIDS
The Franco-Zairian investigations in the fight against AIDS
permitted the development of a series of protocols in the different
domains to fight against this devastating epidemic.
The following team, composed of French and Zairians:
- Professor Z. LURHUMA (University Clinics)
- Professor D. ZAGURY (Pierre and Marie Curie University -
PARIS)
- Doctor J.J. SALAUN (National Institute of Biomedical
Research)
continue these investigations according to three specific
directions:
a) The preparation of an anti-AIDS vaccine administered in 1986 and
1987 to 53 French and Zairian volunteers (those in volunteer
service, in the private sector, civilians and military personnel),
all seronegative.
The individuals subject to the vaccination were informed:
- that this was an experimental preparation;
- that trials in the laboratory and in animals had
demonstrated their harmlessness;
- that the protector effect conferred by this attempt was
completely unknown;
- that this experimental immunization aimed to:
1. demonstrate the harmlessness of this preparation in man.
2. obtain the appearance of specific anti-HIV antibodies.
Each individual gave his informed consent.
No complication, and even more important, no death was
recorded.
No political prisoner took part in this experiment, never!
Some children, whose father had just died of AIDS and whose
mother, already affected by the disease, implored that they also be
immunized, were vaccinated for purely humanitarian reasons. The
request and consent of the mothers were provided.
Several publications have appeared in very well-known
scientific periodicals and in international conferences.
At present, additional studies are in progress at the St.
Antoine Hospital in PARIS to perfect the vaccinial preparation for
better adaptation to a mass campaign.