Hopes are high for the new HIV vaccine
For the first time it seems that there may be hope on the horizon for those who suffer from the HIV virus. An experimental new vaccine has been proven to prevent HIV infections, which is the breakthrough that scientists have been searching for for around 25 years.
A study funded by the U.S involving more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand has revealed that a combination of ALVAC and AIDSVAX reduced infections by 31.2% in the people who received it compared with those on a placebo vaccine.
Although neither of these vaccines has shown signs of stopping the HIV virus that causes AIDS when used independently, together the two vaccines seem to be a winning combinations that could save millions of lives around the world.
However, there are still plenty of tests that need to be conducted before the vaccine can be delivered worldwide. At the moment there are far too many unanswered questions regarding exactly how the vaccine works and the fact that it was designed using Thai specific HIV strains. Before the vaccine is ready to be released years of research need to be conducted, which is bad news for those who are waiting impatiently for a miracle solution.
But many of the scientists involved in the research seem positive that the answer that they have been working on for so long is now within reach.