The initially slow response by scientists and more importantly pharmaceutical companies to Ebola when it first began to devastate the communities concerned, has been shown up for its lack of focus by the swift subsequent response to produce a vaccine, which appears to have had some early successes. The story is very different for the work of scientists to attempt to develop a vaccine for HIV which marked 30 years since its discovery in April. Sadly whilst the two conditions have been compared in the media, there are distinct differences between them. As we approach World Aids day on 1st December this helpful article explains why HIV/AIDS is very different to Ebola and why an effective vaccine is still being sought by people such as Robert Gallo who has dedicated the last 30 years of his life to finding a solution to the Virus he himself discovered. It is fantastic that Ebola is coming under some levels of control and that with our attention and support can be beaten in relatively quick ordre. However it is likely that AIDS and HIV will be with us for a little while longer. I suspect that Dr Gallo would like to know it has been beaten in his lifetime, he is 77 so for the sake of the many Thousands being infected every day and the Millions living with the condition as well as Dr Gallo, perhaps we also need to redouble our efforts on HIV/AIDS as well as the terrible Ebola.