The UK’s National Health Service is preparing to launch the first vaccine that prevents HIV infection, offering new hope of eradicating the virus within five years. The innovative injection, administered once every two months, protects individuals from contracting HIV with an effectiveness rate approaching 100%.

According to the Daily Mail, this treatment will soon be available in health clinics across England and Wales after receiving approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This marks a major step toward achieving the NHS goal of becoming the first health system in the world to eliminate HIV transmission by 2030.

The vaccine, known as Cabotegravir (or CAB-LA), works by blocking an enzyme the virus needs to replicate within the body, preventing it from multiplying and taking hold if exposure occurs. Unlike daily HIV prevention pills known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), this new treatment requires only a bi-monthly injection administered by a healthcare professional.

It will be offered to around 1,000 people annually who cannot take oral PrEP due to medical conditions, difficulty swallowing tablets, or unstable living situations.

Helen Knight, Director of Medicines Evaluation at NICE, stated: “HIV remains a serious public health challenge, but we now have powerful tools to prevent new infections. Around 1,000 people in England cannot take daily oral PrEP for medical or other reasons, which is why this injection provides an effective alternative.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting praised the approval, calling it a “game-changer.” He said: “For people at risk who are unable to use other methods of HIV prevention, this represents real hope.”