While many scientists and researchers have spent millions of dollars and thousands of hours trying to find an AIDS vaccine, to date their efforts have been unsuccessful. The AIDS virus is an infection that is spread through the exchange of blood or bodily fluids.
Once you have developed the AIDS virus, it attacks your immune system and over time makes it very hard to fight even the common cold. Most people spread the AIDS virus without even knowing they have it. It can truly be the silent killer, since most symptoms don't occur until the disease has progressed.
An AIDS vaccine would work in many of the same ways as other vaccines. A live or dead version of the virus would need to be given to people so they could build up immunity. The problem with the AIDS virus is that its main effect is to attack the immune system. Right now, scientists are looking at three possible effects an AIDS vaccine could have. They are hoping that an AIDS vaccine could cut down on the number of outbreaks per year of new cases. Most vaccines today cut the rate of new cases by as much as 90%.
The second option that could be helpful with an AIDS vaccine would be if it slowed the progression rate of the AIDS virus. While this would not make the AIDS outbreak go away, the AIDS vaccine could offer a life prolonging effect until another solution can be found. Every year new discoveries are made in the research of a possibly AIDS vaccine; if people could live long enough, maybe some day there will be a cure.
The final result scientists are hoping for is an AIDS vaccine that could prevent the infectiousness of the AIDS virus. In other words this AIDS vaccine would make people less likely to spread the disease. Over time, no new cases could develop if it could not to be spread.
While at this point an AIDS vaccine is not on the horizon, scientists are very hopeful that one can be developed. There have been many positive effects in lab tests performed on animals. The biggest issue at hand is finding an AIDS vaccine that provides results without the side effects in current trials. There are many drugs now formed that will kill the AIDS virus; the problem with most is that the ingredients are toxic to human life. Most scientists agree that within the next ten years, major development will take place on this issue.