Vaccine-O-Licious Celebrates 20 Years!
May 21, 2025, marked the 20th anniversary of Vaccine-O-Licious, Columbia Research Unit and Project ACHIEVE’s annual drag pageant for HIV research. Branded as a Stella-bration, the show also celebrated 20 years of advocacy and volunteerism by Stella D’oro, the Queen Mum of Vaccine.
The commemorative event, hosted by Stella D’oro and celebrity journalist Michael Musto, took place at Red Eye in Hell’s Kitchen. The venue was packed with standing room only as six contestants vied for the title of Mx. Vaccine-O-Licious 20. The performers went head-to-head in three categories: talent, presentation and Q&A. In the end, it was AriaJae who took the competition by storm and won the crown.
Sitting on the judges’ panel were HIV advocate and burlesque artist JMV; Jomil Luna of HIV Stops with Me; and RuPaul’s Drag Race star and social activist Peppermint, who hosted Vaccine-O-Licious from 2006 to 2016. Sponsorship was provided by the New York Blood Center, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, ViiV Healthcare, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and HIV Stops with Me.
In addition to the pageant, the night featured two special crownings. Longtime Queen of Vaccine Jus Jahlisa passed along her title to Sabel Scities, who will work as a community advocate for CRU and Project ACHIEVE for the next three years. Jus Jahlisa was in turn crowned the first-ever Queen of U=U, a title she will hold in her own volunteer work moving forward.
The evening also included speeches by members of the CRU and Project ACHIEVE research teams; free food; a raffle for prizes including a TV; and special guest performances by JMV, Jus Jahlisa and Sabel Scities.
CRU and Project ACHIEVE presented Stella D’oro with a trophy and cake to celebrate her years of service to the community. Peppermint took the microphone to share her history with Vaccine-O-Licious, and representatives of HIV Stops with Me spoke about their work.
Before the winner was announced, Stella D’oro and Peppermint led a brief memorial segment for Jiggly Caliente, who died at 44 in April. Jiggly, who had been scheduled to judge and perform at the event, was a longtime participant and supporter of Vaccine-O-Licious. The memorial featured a slideshow by NYC nightlife videographer Captain Wonder, who judged Vaccine-O-Licious 18 alongside Jiggly in 2023.
The three-hour program concluded to the sound of resounding applause from the capacity-filled room, and CRU and Project ACHIEVE are looking forward to the coming year of work with the rising Mx. Vaccine-O-Licious 20, our new Queen of Vaccine, and our perennial advocates. Keep an eye on CRU’s social media (Instagram, Facebook, X) for announcements on upcoming events!