[Email to R. Scott Hitt from Bruce Weniger]

Weniger, Bruce
To: Hitt, R. Scott (Los Angeles)
Cc: Cade, Jerry (Nevada); Greenberger, Phyllis (SAWHR); Miramontes, Helen (nursing%);
Miramontes, Helen (UCSF); Thurman, Sandra (c/o Bauerly)
Subject: Revised Text for the PACHA Briefing Book
Dear Scott,
In followup to today's conference call, below please find revised
text for our vaccine-related contributions to the briefing book of proposed
statements going from the Research Committee to all the Council
members.
Before I leave for Washington, I'll try to fax this to Alexandra, who doesn't have an e-mail address.
I can be reached Tuesday - Thursday, 9-11 April, at the Renaissance Hotel, DC, tel [phone], fax
289-0947.
Thanks,
Bruce
Tel: [1] [phone] (direct)
Tel: [1] [phone] (switchboard)
Tel: [1] [phone] (home)
Fax: [1] [phone]
E-mail: bg w2@nip l.em.cdc.gov
+++++++++++++++ +
PACHA Research Committee 8-Apr-96
1. A VACCINE <boldface, underline on> IS <boldface, underline
off> POSSIBLE.
The consensus among scientists is that an effective vaccine
for AIDS is technically feasible, based on observations that some
HIV-infected persons survive many years, that some persons who
are frequently exposed to HIV remain uninfected, and that
superinfection with another strain appears rare once the first
HIV infection becomes established.
2. AN EXPEDITED, EMERGENCY VACCINE PROGRAM IS JUSTIFIED.
Approximately 40,000 to 60,000 Americans still become newlyinfected with HIV each year, despite extensive efforts to change
risky human behaviors. Current lifetime medical costs for HIVinfected patients in the U.S. are estimated at $119,000 each, and
increasing rapidly as new drugs are added to treatment regimens
extending life. A preventive vaccine represents the principal
long-term and most cost-effective solution for the epidemic.
If we are to contain sooner, rather than later, the enormous
human suffering and the exploding obligations for health-care
costs of AIDS in the decades ahead, a high-priority, expedited
program to develop an AIDS vaccine is justified. It should
receive a substantially greater proportion of the annual $1.4b
budget for biomedical research on AIDS than the roughly 5% now
devoted to vaccine research and development. Such an emergency
program and shifting of funding priorities should merit
bipartisan political support.

Page 1