Mass Use of AIDS Vaccine in U.S. Seen : Inoculation of Entire Population Likely, Scientist Predicts

Vaccination of the entire American population may be necessary in the future to stop the relentless spread of deadly AIDS infections, a scientist said today.

Dr. James W. Curran, head of the AIDS task force at the national Centers for Disease Control, said scientists are assuming that an effective vaccine against AIDS will be developed by 1990.

Health officials “initially would vaccinate all Americans,” Curran said. He said such a vaccination program “would result in a rapid reduction of infection.”

Curran spoke to scientists from 30 nations attending the world’s first major conference on AIDS, which was called amid signs that the often fatal disease, which has no cure or effective treatment, is spreading at alarming rates.

Rapid Increase in Cases

Curran said the number of AIDS cases is increasing rapidly in this country “and will double by 1986 from the present 9,405 to between 18,000 and 19,000.”

Curran also said hundreds of thousands of Americans have been exposed to the disease. “My own guess is that 300,000 to 1 million Americans have been infected by the (AIDS) virus,” he said.

Margaret M. Heckler, secretary of Health and Human Services, addressed the conference and referred to AIDS as “a murderous mystery.” She said the government already has committed nearly $200 million to fight the disease and expects to devote about $86 million more in the coming fiscal year.

Heckler said a reliable blood test has been developed to screen out the AIDS virus from the nation’s blood supply. She said so far nearly 3 million blood test kits have been distributed nationally.

Still at War Against It

“Though we rejoice at the battles we have won, all of us know that the final victories--the cure and treatment that will be life-saving--are not yet in reach,” Heckler said.

One paper to be presented to the 2,000 scientists attending the three-day conference says an analysis of trends in the United States “indicates the number of new cases being diagnosed continues to increase rapidly.”

The paper reports an 81% increase in AIDS from 1983 to 1984 and forecasts another 81% increase--or 8,500 new cases--this year.

“It’s obvious that infections with the AIDS virus has the potential for causing infections in all populations,” said Dr. Gary Noble of the CDC.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome destroys the body’s ability to ward off infections. The disease, first reported in this country in 1981, is spread by sexual contact and through blood or blood product transfusions. Its principal victims are male homosexuals, intravenous drug abusers and hemophiliacs.