In a strongly-edited volume, Koff, Kahn and Gust compile contributions from more than 40 of the world's leading AIDS vaccine experts, writers who, in 150 dense yet succinct pages, explore many of the cutting-edge issues and obstacles to successful 21st century vaccine development.
To their credit, these authors consider their areas of expertise (basic, clinical, epidemiological, behavioural and deployment factors) while maintaining a near-thematic eye on the global HIV vaccine pipeline; aware of the importance not only of science and safety, but of economics also, and the contradictions these overlapping requirements can place on mobilisation, commitment and scale-up within developing and developed world contexts.
Primary among this bookıs advantages is the offer of many of the core minds in current AIDS vaccine research and development. If the reader is left wanting at all, it is perhaps for further consideration of political, economic and psychosocial challenges to effective vaccine deployment; that is for more in-depth reflection on the multiple ways societies and communities (especially the less developed and most marginal communities) may risk experiencing AIDS vaccine deployment from the veritable other end of the needle.
As a welcome and indeed valuable addition, AIDS Vaccine Development avoids undue intellectual acrobatics, relying instead on an intensely understandable, informative and thought-provoking approach. The volume stands to be an extremely useful acquisition for any library collection wishing to ensure a modern, advanced and readable resource for those interested in AIDS vaccine development.
Review by: Dan Allman, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada
Full details of the book available at AIDS Vaccine Development