Breakthrough as vaccine cuts HIV infection risk

AN experimental vaccine has prevented infection with the Aids virus for the first time, a breakthrough in the fight against the deadly illness.

The World Health Organisation and the UN agency UNAids said yesterday the results “instilled new hope” in the field of HIV vaccine research.

The vaccine cut the risk of becoming infected with HIV by more than 31% in the world’s largest Aids trial of more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand.