National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day is observed annually on the 18th of May and recognizes everyone who has worked towards finding a safe and effective vaccine for HIV. All over the world, thousands of health professionals and scientists, volunteers, and community members have worked tirelessly to do the research or raise the money for the research for an HIV vaccine.

It’s their contributions that are honored on this day. Another purpose of this holiday is to publicize the progress that has been made over the past 3+ decades of HIV research, although much more work is yet to be done.

The History Of National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

This holiday was created by the National Institute of Health. The concept of the holiday started from a speech made by then U.S President Bill Clinton on May 18, 1997. His speech emphasized the importance of developing a vaccine to combat HIV.

Facts About HIV & AIDS

Below are some facts that we’ve learned about HIV and AIDS during the course of our research.

• More than 1.2 million Americans age 13-years and older are living with HIV.
• Although there’s no cure for HIV, viral load can be reduced to the point where it’s undetectable.
• Researchers have been working on an HIV vaccine for decades.
• Sharing needles is the second most common way that HIV is spread to women in the U.S.

Observing National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day

This holiday can be observed by learning more about HIV and AIDS, and by taking the time to donate money to HIV vaccine research. People can also spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #HIVVaccineAwarenessDay or #HVAD on their social media accounts.