To control further the long-term efficacy of our vaccine, the seven protected macaques were intrarectally rechallenged by 36 months after vaccination; by 48 months post vaccination, we showed that all of them remained fully protected from infection (Figures 3A,B); importantly, we controlled that the repetition of viral challenges had no role in the long-term protection of the vaccinated macaques since their CD8+ T-cells conserved the same high level of ex vivo antiviral activity before as well as after being rechallenged (data not shown). This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and infection.