The main purpose of HIV vaccine is to protect individuals from being infected with the virus by a preventive vaccine, or treating an HIV-infected person by a therapeutic vaccine. Generally, there are two types of approaches to an HIV vaccine. In an active vaccination approach, vaccine aims to induce an immune response against HIV and in a passive vaccination approach, preformed antibodies against HIV are administered.

The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) is a global non-profiting, public-private partnership working to expedite the development of vaccines to prevent HIV infection and AIDS. This organization takes an exhaustive approach to HIV and AIDS that supports existing HIV prevention and treatment programs while emphasizing the need for new AIDS prevention tools.