The HIV/AIDS pandemic continues to impose a global burden, especially on developing countries. In the present as in the past, viral infectious diseases are most effectively controlled – some even eradicated – through prevention programs that include a vaccine. No single approach to HIV/AIDS prevention is likely to have a dramatic impact. Integrated approaches to prevention, detection, and management that are tailored to specific populations yield the best results. Reversing the course of the AIDS pandemic will require carefully combined strategies that include behavioral, biomedical, and even surgical methods to prevent HIV, as is the case with male circumcision. An effective HIV vaccine would significantly advance successful prevention strategies to control the AIDS pandemic.