The AIDS epidemic is one of the greatest challenges to our society today. It is a fight that we cannot afford to lose.

Many vaccines in use today resulted from both government-sponsored and private research.

I believe I have a personal responsibility to make a positive impact on society.

An AIDS-free generation would mean that virtually no child is born with HIV; that, as those children grow up, their risk of becoming infected is far lower than it is today; and that those who become infected can access treatment to help prevent them from developing AIDS and from passing the virus on to others.

You have to prepare for the worst, but it's entirely conceivable that we could have a moderate one. You have to prepare for a horrendous problem, but the general public shouldn't assume that we're going to see the worst case.

The good news is that we have a vaccine that can induce an immune response. But the sobering news is . . . we have a long way to go.