WASHINGTON, DC - Sens. John Kerry and Gordon Smith today announced the Senate's 80-16 vote to lift a travel and immigration ban for those living with HIV/AIDS as part of the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) reauthorization. Kerry and Smith last year introduced legislation that would repeal the outdated, misguided provision in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which bars HIV positive individuals from entering the United States, including HIV positive doctors and experts, as well as refugees seeking asylum.

A second Kerry provision on vaccines was also passed. The provision will require U.S. participation in Advanced Market Commitments (AMC) to develop key vaccines and strengthen efforts to provide technical assistance for vaccination development in developing nations. Pneumococcal vaccines are estimated to prevent 5.4 million childhood deaths by 2030.

"Today we are one step closer to ending a discriminatory practice that stigmatizes all those living with HIV, squanders our moral authority, and sets us back in the fight against AIDS," said Sen. Kerry. "By passing PEPFAR, the Senate not only has made a powerful statement about our commitment to eradicating HIV/AIDS but we have also voted to overturn the HIV travel and immigration ban that has no foundation in public health or common sense. There was no reason for this policy to still be on the books, and I am proud to have been part of eliminating this draconian ban. I sincerely hope we can get this to the President as quickly as possible to finally end this misguided policy."

"While we have come a long way from the stigma, fear-mongering and intolerance of the 80s against those living with HIV/AIDS, discrimination continues," said Sen. Smith. "Under current policy, our government still treats individuals with HIV/AIDS as modern day lepers, categorically banning these individuals from entering into the U.S. To fully embrace our global leadership on HIV/AIDS, we must remove our unwelcome mat and overturn this ridiculous ban."

Currently, the United States is one of 12 countries that maintain by law both a travel and immigration ban for persons with HIV, including Iraq, Libya, Russia, and Sudan. China has recently decided to overturn its ban in the coming year. No scientific evidence supports the HIV travel and immigration ban as an effective way to prevent the spread of HIV or as a tool for economic benefit by reducing costs to the public health care system.

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