As I understand it, the reason an HIV vaccine has been so difficult to create is that HIV mutates so easily. I understand the basics behind how mRNA vaccines are generated, but I don't understand why this approach would be expected to have any more success in evading the high mutation potential of HIV than other vaccine types. After all, it was even a concern with new coronavirus variants that the original Moderna vaccine would be less effective against them (and, indeed, while the original vaccine is still highly effective against all variants, my understanding is that it is less so than the original variant). And SARS-COV-2 mutates much less easily than HIV.
Can someone with more knowledge explain the thought process behind this?
Can someone with more knowledge explain the thought process behind this?