New genital herpes vaccine candidate provides powerful protection in preclinical tests

Approximately 500 million people around the world are infected with the genital herpes virus known as herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2). A vaccine that could bring an end to this global pandemic is needed desperately, yet no candidate vaccine has ever performed well in clinical trials. Now scientists have shown that a new type of vaccine provides powerful protection in standard guinea pig and monkey models of HSV2 infection.