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'Breakthrough' for Aids vaccine - 24 Sep 09
By: aljazeeraenglish
Posted: Sep 24 09
Witnessed: 929 times
Regions: Thailand
Issues: Health, HIV-AIDS
Tags: access to healthcare
An experimental vaccine being tested in Thailand has shown signs of protecting people from infection by the virus that causes Aids.
US military and Thai health officials announced in Bangkok that for the first time ever, an experimental vaccine prevented infection from the HIV virus.
Thai authorities say the treatment given to healthy volunteers cut the number of expected HIV infections by almost a third.
"It is found that the vaccine has 31.2 per cent efficacy in reducing the risk of HIV infection," Withaya Kaewparadai, the Thai health minister, said.
The world's largest Aids vaccine trial included more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand.
It is the first time any HIV vaccine has even partially succeeded in a clinical trial.
Every day, 7500 people worldwide are newly infected with HIV.
Scientists say the study used strains of HIV common in Thailand. Whether such a vaccine would work against strains in the US or Africa is unknown.
Al Jazeera's Aela Callan reports from Bangkok.
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