The AIDS Vaccine
A vaccine is not exactly a novel invention, but one that's
designed to fight HIV certainly is. More than 20 years after
the AIDS virus was identified, researchers have devised the
first immunization to protect people against HIV infection.
A six-year trial showed that the vaccine, which consists of
two shots that given individually had failed to protect against
HIV, is modestly effective, reducing infection 31% among those
receiving the regimen vs. those getting a placebo. Scientists
are still trying to figure out how the vaccine decreases infection
risk, since the shots did not affect the level of virus in
the blood of volunteers. And some experts question whether
the small effect is indeed significant. The vaccine is not
approved for use yet, but it's the first to make any headway
against HIV, and that's a start.
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