Researchers say that they may be a step closer to formulating a vaccine for HIV and Aids. A new vaccine has been observed to have lowered the rate of infections by more than 30 percent.
 
The results could lead to a breakthrough in the war against HIV and Aids through this vaccine which has shown reasonable success.
 
Clinical trials done on volunteers in Thailand have spread cautious but positive attitude throughout the medical world.
 
Anthony Fauci, MD with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that it might have been a very modest effect but it certainly guides in a particular direction and makes it evident that a lot more work lies ahead in this direction.
 
The combined study was conducted by the Thai Health Ministry and the U.S. Army on 16,000 people by using two existing drugs.
 
It resulted in a 31 percent drop in infections. Fauci further said that a vaccine needs to have a 60, 70 or 80 percent effect or even more.
 
This study raises the bar and raises hope for all researchers worldwide after several years of failure trying to create a vaccine.
 
HIV researcher Dr. Michael Lederman said, "It's been, I guess, 24 years now of sustained efforts to try to develop an Aids vaccine, but I don't think we know enough about this to know whether it's really a first step, but it could be".