SAFETY AND IMMUNOGENICITY OF INTRAMUSCULAR AND INTRAVAGINAL DELIVERY OF HIV-1 DNA CONSTRUCTS TO INFANT CHIMPANZEES

Any global strategy for controlling the human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) epidemic is likely to rely heavily on immunization of infants and children. Given the well-documented differences in children's respons es to traditional vaccines, we initiated this study to extend our find ings on DNA vaccination of adult chimpanzees to immunologically immatu re infant chimpanzees. Our findings were consistent with our previous work in adults as we observed that the DNA vaccines used here were bot h well tolerated and immunogenic within weeks of the initial vaccinati on.