A vaccine volunteerLiving with AIDS #152

Transcript:

Duration 3 min 21 sec

KHOPOTSO BODIBE: The time was 10:20 on Wednesday morning, the 12th of November, when I arrived at the special media conference to meet Talita Thekiso. But it was not until an hour later that the research team, with Talita in tow, showed up. She went on to describe the experiences of the morning.      

TALITA THEKISO: I came in in the morning, then I was assessed by a doctor ‘€“ taking weights, blood pressure and all that. Then I was given some tea’€¦ Then after that that’€™s when the vaccine came. I was vaccinated and waited 30 minutes, then after that assessed whether there were any changes’€¦ And I was vaccinated on the right hand side on the shoulder.

KB: Dr Eftyhia Vardas, a research clinician and Director of the HIV Vaccines Programme at the research site, was standing by Talita’€™s side.

EFTYHIA VARDAS: This was an intra-muscular injection’€¦ Well, as you know, we have a lot of preparation of our participants’€¦ during which time we go through an education curriculum, called Vaccine Discussion Groups. And during Vaccine Discussion Groups, there is discussion about the risks and benefits of being part of vaccine trials, how vaccines are made, exactly everything that a participant requires to know to be part of a vaccine trial.

And then we check their health as well. So, people get bloods taken, to check how healthy their organs are, to see if everything is alright, and only then do they get immunised. So, today it was just reiterating, just checking all those results were in and making sure that she was ready to enter the trial.              

KB: Talita Thekiso is 22 years old, a resident of Soweto, a receptionist at a Sandton hotel and a mother of a 4 year-old little girl. She said the vaccine was painless and she experienced no side-effects afterwards. She doesn’€™t know of a family member or relative who is infected with HIV, nor has died as a result of AIDS. But, because she is witness to the destruction that the epidemic causes in people’€™s lives, she said, that’€™s why she decided to participate in the trial. While she is grateful to her family for the role they played in her decision, she says she can’€™t say the same about her work colleagues.

TALITA THEKISO: They are very supportive, helpful, always understanding and pushing me to come here do this. They’€™re very supportive’€¦ At work, it’€™s only my closest friend who knows’€¦ We don’€™t talk. It’€™s only business when we talk. We don’€™t really sit down and talk about private things.

KB: But surely, that situation might have all changed today.

TALITA THEKISO: People might think that I’€™m now attached with this virus. And some who understand will be understanding. I know people are gonna be talking after this. So, I’€™m prepared ‘€˜cos I know what I’€™m doing and I know why I’€™m doing this.

KB: She continued to say that she hopes that her involvement and her public appearance will help change people’€™s attitudes and break the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS. Talita is the first of two of a total of 40 participants from Soweto in the 18-month long MVA vaccine trial, which is taking place in Durban and Soweto. The second volunteer preferred to remain anonymous. The two will be closely monitored over the next few weeks. They still have two more vaccine doses outstanding.

E-mail  Khopotso Bodibe

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  • healthe

    Health-e News is South Africa's dedicated health news service and home to OurHealth citizen journalism. Follow us on Twitter @HealtheNews

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