‘I Kissed A Boy’ contestant Dan Harry joins novel HIV vaccine trial

A contestant on the BBC show I Kissed A Boy has been talking about his participation in a HIV vaccine trial.

Dan Harry, from Coatbridge in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, featured in the gay dating-based show, filmed in Italy, earlier this year. He entered during episode 4 and exited in episode 8. He partnered up with Ollie King. However, they recently announced they had split.

Harry is taking part in the Europe-based EHVA P01 trial. It was launched last year. Harry has also been working with the Terrence Higgins Trust, the UK’s largest sexual health charity, to raise awareness around HIV prevention.

“My blood will be taken,” he told Pink News, explaining how the study works, “and then we test on it.

“Then I will be given three doses of this vaccine, which is basically a genetically modified [virus] that’s made to look and feel like HIV. I’ll be given three doses of that over the course of the next 12 months.

“I’ll be keeping a diary as to how that makes me feel and what happens.

“We’ll see, progress and develop over that over 12 months as to how the vaccine impacts my body.”

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Giving back to the community

Harry talked to Gay Times about his reasons for wanting to take part in the trial. He said, “As I was growing up, going to high school as a teenager in the west of Scotland, sexual health and the gay world, gay issues, HIV was not a thing that was discussed.

Harry said as he became an adult and became a more out and proud advocate of the LGBTQ+ community, he wanted to do something of benefit. He recognizes those who have gone before him who fought for equality.

“I got the chance to learn about the community, the generations who’ve come before me, who were most affected by HIV, but who also are the most responsible for the rights that I have today,” he said.

“They marched in protest and fought hard for us, at a time when it was so much harder to be gay than it is now. So, I personally felt like I wanted to do this because I want to return the favor to the community and generations before me for what they’ve done for me.”

Harry has had two vaccine doses already and will receive his third in around five months. He has to keep a diary to note any side effects but says as yet, he’s not noted anything.

The first stage of the trial took place last year. It monitored the safety of the vaccine in humans. That went well. This second part of the trial, which includes Harry, is to see how well and for how long the vaccine activates the immune system.

Initial results from the study are due in 2025.

“I started the application process to take part in this research months before I even filmed the TV show,” Harry said in an Instagram post in June. “It’s only now that I’ve been able to start the process because they have started a new phase in the research – and I want to use my new platform to raise awareness to this amazing research study.”

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Breaking down misconceptions

The US National Library of Medicine, in its information on the trial, says, “The vaccines are not made from HIV and cannot cause HIV infection. However, the vaccines are likely to cause participants to produce antibodies against HIV that are detected by the rapid HIV antibody tests that are used in routine testing and a test that detects and measures antibodies in the blood used for confirmation.”

This does not mean Harry is risking HIV infection. He is not being exposed to the virus. However, the chance of eliciting a positive test to a HIV antibody test in the future might dissuade others from taking part in this trial.

“I trust the science and medical professionals,” Harry, undaunted, tells Queerty. “I’m a rational thinker and I wouldn’t be concerned about seeing a positive result – as I know that it’s only because of my participation in this research trial.

“If the vaccine trial is successful, and we see it rolled out on a big scale, then perhaps it will lead to a change in how we test for HIV – but that’s for the doctors to figure out!”

He’s not talking publicly about this for any personal glory.

“I’m proud to be taking part in it, but I just see myself as a small cog in the machine, so I don’t necessarily hold as much weight to it,” Harry told Gay Times. He says he didn’t plan to talk publicly about it. However, his nurse, Serge, recognized him from I Kissed A Boy and suggested he use his platform to raise awareness about the trial. Harry is taking part through St Stephen’s Centre at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.

“I want everyone to consider this is something that they should want to support and fight against,” Harry said. “I think there’s also just a lot of misconceptions about HIV in the gay world and I want to use my platform to break some of them down.”

Related:

‘I Kissed A Boy’ contestants Ollie King & Dan Harry split up after “crazy year”

The reality show winners recently announced their amicable split on Instagram.

Major HIV vaccine trial halted after proving ineffective

In the meantime, keep on taking the PrEP.