Question
If I am HIV positive which vaccinations are safe for me to take?
1 November 2010. Related: All topics, Supplements and herbs, Travel.
Hi,
Thank you for your advice.
What vaccines are recommended for a HIV positive person with a CD4 count of 300-350? I want to be safe from infections anytime I travel. Please can you also include information on the the bird flu (H1N1) vaccine and swine flu vaccine; I saw many people get sick after taking these vaccines in my area.
Thank you again.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Vaccinations in HIV positive people are similar to vaccinations in HIV negative people. To view the answer to a similar question about vaccinations please follow this link.
The H1N1 influenza vaccine has been found to be about 73.5% protective in HIV positive people and does not cause any danger. For more information about a H1N1 vaccination study done in HIV positive people please follow this link.
Currently there is no vaccine against Swine flu just against the seasonal influenza. For more information about Swine flu in positive people please follow this link.
If you are travelling to malaria endemic areas you should also take prophylaxis against malaria. For more information on this please follow this link to a similar question.
Some people, regardless of HIV status, find that after taking the vaccination they can feel achy and slightly feverish. This is as a result of the immune system generating a response to the vaccine to give the protection that is needed. Before taking any vaccine you should make sure that you are feeling fine. If you are experiencing symptoms of a cold or anything else then you should wait until you are feeling better before being vaccinated.
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