Large HIV Vaccine Trial Shows Some Promise

The world's largest HIV vaccine trial has shown modest success in attempts to develop an HIV vaccine that prevents HIV infection. In the trial over 16000 people were vaccinated with a combination of HIV vaccines in development or a placebo. Of those vaccinated 31% did not get infected. While the results are very modest (51 people from the vaccine group not infected compared to 74 people from the placebo group that did get HIV infected), the trial proves that it is possible to develop an effective HIV vaccine. Experts caution this trial does not provide us with an effective vaccine and much work needs to be done but it does show that an effective HIV vaccine may be a reality someday.

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