What is the Vaccine for Herpes?

 I am constantly asked about the therapy/vaccine that I received in 2016. So I have created this page for you. I think this may help answer some questions.

 The experimental Therapeutic Immunotherapy and the Prophylactic vaccine for herpes {1} is the invention of Dr. William Halford. After 20 plus years of research, he and his team Rational Vaccines, engineered and is developing these two experimental vaccines {2} for herpes simplex--for types one and type two. The Prophylactic vaccine for herpes is very similar to the MMR vaccine and it should be obvious as to how well that live viral vaccines works in preventing disease. Dr. Halford also found that the Vaccine could be applied as a therapeutic/immunotherapy for the many that suffer from recurrent manifestations of the herpes virus. Dr. Halford's work and citations can be found here.

 Currently the vaccine/therapy is being studied, developed and improved by Rational Vaccines, A company founded by Dr. Halford and Agustin Fernandez. Unfortunately, Dr. Halford lost his battle to cancer in 2017, but his mission remains the same as the team has been moving forward for the past few years now. 

 According to Dr Halfords work, the therapeutic version of the herpes vaccine is designed to reintroduce the body to herpes in a more controlled manner using a live viral vaccine. This Vaccine has attenuating mutations which slow the replication process of herpes, thereby slowing down the immune evasion strategies while simultaneously exposing an individuals immune response to the herpes proteins it may have been missing in order to effectively control the disease.

 Herpes has many immune evasion strategies that it employs during the infection process. These strategies make herpes very successful at evading both innate ( complement activation and adaptive (antibodies and T cells) immune responses. Because of the immune evasion strategies, it is possible that the immune cells in individuals suffering from recurrent disease may have missed many of the intended targets of herpes. A persons immune response is dependent on its ability to identify the 75 proteins that make up the virus, so that it can create the proper antibodies. The Vaccine can possibly help facilitate this action by re-teaching the immune system these missing “lessons." This science looks very promising but more studies will need to take place.

 Consultations with the FDA CBER took place in 2018, so further information about new trials is pending and will be announced by Rational Vaccines. The future is looking very hopeful however, the approval of new drugs in the United States is an extremely long and tedious process.

 For this and many other reasons, I have volunteered my time and energy to create a nonprofit campaign for herpes awareness and to give a platform for those who suffer to have a voice. Almost everyone who has herpes in a debilitating way, often remains silent and hidden. This is why this subject needs attention. This campaign also has the potential to help those in power, understand the need to fast track the vaccine so that many of us can get these treatments sooner, rather than wait the customary 10-15 years.

{1} This experimental Therapeutic Immunotherapy and Prophylactic vaccine (rvx101 and rvx201) is currently not available for sale or public use and is not FDA approved. More studies, science, and proper testing are still pending. 

{2} FDA testing and studies pending.