Rochester Victory Alliance

08/07/2026

Cambodia joins a select club of 11 countries to meet this containment goal for HIV*. It's the first in the East Asian/Pacific Island country to do so, beating wealthier nations like Japan to the 2030 target date.

Well done.

* 95% of people with HIV know they carry the virus, are on meds, and have the virus fully under control.

The United Nations has set a goal for near universal HIV diagnosis and treatment for all by 2030. No country in Asia has hit the mark — until this year.

08/06/2026

What's the advantage of this new vaccine, "mFLUSIVA?"

- It's 27% more effective against influenza than the currently licensed shot
- mRNA vaccines can be re-configured quickly to respond to new versions of a virus

Any disadvantages?

- More reported rates of temporary arm pain and fatigue
- Currently approved for people age 50-64dd
- It's caught in the current political maelstrom; anti-vaccine forces may work to discourage its use

As always, talk with a doc about which vaccination is best for you.

The agency’s former top vaccine regulator declined to review the Moderna shot, and it’s now likely to face pushback from allies of the health secretary.

08/05/2026

# # # # Join HRC for LGBTQ+ Healthcare in America: 2026 & Beyond, a national conversation about the growing threats facing LGBTQ+ healthcare and what comes next. Hear from policy experts, advocates, and community leaders as we discuss attacks on gender-affirming care, instability in HIV prevention and....

08/03/2026

Emily and Allie stepped up today for an impromptu visit from the University of Rochester Medicine ICare team. 🎥 Look for them in the near future on a screen near you!

07/29/2026

Like the sign says: Welcome, Violet!

Violet D. is our newest nurse here at Rochester Victory Alliance. She comes to us from URMC's Infectious Disease unit, where she loved supporting people living with HIV. A confessed "science nerd," Violet is excited to leverage her clinical skills with vaccine research.

Which brings us to a bit of an announcement: RVA is working toward merging our HIV prevention research with clinical trials that, until now, have been conducted in the ID unit with people living with HIV. Violet will be initially focused on those studies, which are conducted under the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) network. More on this later!

Until then, fun facts about Violet:

- She was raised in Brisbane, Australia, and can drop an Aussie accent at will.

- Before getting her nursing degree, Violet worked photographing babies at UCLA.

- She volunteered to work in Brooklyn during the spring of Covid 2020.

- Violet named her cat "Adenosine." The mark of a true nerd! ✔️

07/28/2026

"I had wanted to volunteer for the Covid vaccine trial but was unable to because of work commitments. After seeing news from DR Congo I thought I'd like to do my bit."

That's the volunteerism spirit we love!

Ed Hunt, 37 and from the UK, voluteered after seeing news reports of the deadly Ebola outbreak in DR Congo.

07/23/2026

Science can be complicated. This Vox article breaks down where we are right now with HIV vaccines, in a way that's easy to follow. 👏

We're really, really close to solving the puzzle — please read and share.

But politics could derail the one thing to unlock it.

07/20/2026

Whew! While it may not have ended the way any of us wanted, Pride 2026 was as joy-filled as ever. Thanks to Rachel, CJ, Joe, Paris, Dorothy, Danette, Aaron, Jared and everyone else who pitched in this year to make it a truly "enchanting" day.

And to those who shared an umbrella, jumped in a puddle, smiled through the rainstorm(s), and helped someone cross a flooded street — YOU make us a community that comes together and glows no matter what.

Happy Pride, Rochester!