A scientist who knows how to communicate - and isn't bad with the vaccines either

Kim Stephens has written a nice piece in my local 'paper', brisbanetimes.com.au, on Prof Ian Frazer's latest vaccine achievement. 

You may know Prof Frazer from such things as...the anticancer human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, a safe, highly effective but underutilized (in some parts at least) vaccine recommended for kids aged 11 or 12.

Anyone who can make immunological concepts sound as simple as Prof Frazer does in this latest interview should get an award....wait..he already has a couple.

Prof Frazer's latest, globally important achievement, is the human trialing of a herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) vaccine. This is to defend against the virus that most notably gives you genital blisters. A virus down under, you might say. Or you might not.

But the vaccine is not just defensive, apart from preventing disease  it also therapeutic - it can treat the infection you already have. 

Skin cancer is next in case you're keeping tabs.

Thanks to Katherine Arden for alerting me to this story.