Lenacapavir is not an HIV vaccine, but its effect in preventing infection is similar to one. Vaccines enlist and train the immune system to recognize and target pathogens like viruses, so the body , The U.S. has approved the world's only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV, maker Gilead Sciences announced Wednesday. While a vaccine to prevent HIV still is needed, some experts say the shot , The U.S. has approved the world’s only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV, the first step in an anticipated global rollout that could protect millions – although it’s unclear how many in the U , To many, it is the next best thing to an HIV vaccine. On Wednesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new way to prevent HIV infection: the antiretroviral drug lenacapavir, which provides almost complete protection for 6 months with a single injection in the abdomen., Global efforts at ending the HIV pandemic by 2030 have stalled. There still are more than 30,000 new infections in the U.S. each year and about 1.3 million worldwide., While a vaccine to prevent HIV still is needed, some experts say the shot made by Gilead Sciences — a drug called lenacapavir — could be the next best thing..