Scientists announced today that a six-year, 16,000 person study in Thailand showed a trial HIV vaccine regimen to be safe and modestly effective in preventing HIV infection. The vaccine regimen lowered the rate of HIV infection by 31.2 percent compared with a placebo.

The trial, which was co-sponsored by the U.S. Army Medical Research Program and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (part of the National Institutes of Health), marks the first time a vaccine has been shown to give even a limited amount of protection against HIV.

Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker, Surgeon General, U.S. Army, said, “This is the first HIV vaccine candidate to successfully reduce the risk of HIV infection in humans. We are very excited and pleased with the outcome of this trial and congratulate all those who participated in it … In addition, this study is an outstanding example of international and interagency collaboration involving many partners from the Thai and U.S. governments, private companies, non-profit organizations and volunteers.”

While more details of the study have yet to be released, this new development offers fresh hope and energy in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

-Rena Pacheco-Theard