Statement on Results of the Thai AIDS Vaccine Study - Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Today marks a critically important milestone in the fight against AIDS.

For the first time, we have proof that a vaccine can provide protection against HIV infection in humans.

These results offer new hope that it's possible to develop a highly effective vaccine with the power to break the back of the AIDS pandemic.

The scientific community must move with speed and urgency to build upon these findings. To accelerate the pace of progress, it will be essential to expand research striving for incremental improvements on this initial success. This will be a worldwide effort.

As research on HIV vaccines moves forward, we must also rapidly expand the use of existing, proven HIV prevention strategies, and continue exploring every other means to contain the pandemic.

We extend our thanks and heartiest congratulations to everyone who contributed to this historic milestone including the U.S. Army, the Thai Ministry of Public Health, the Royal Thai Army, NIAID, Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases (GSID/VaxGen), Sanofi Pasteur, and especially the many Thai volunteers who enrolled in the trial.