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People living with HIV should
receive two different vaccines to help prevent serious strep-related illness,
according to new recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization
Practices (ACIP) published October 12 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly. In addition to the long-standing
recommendation that people with “immunocompromising conditions” 19 years of age
and older receive Pneumovax 23 (23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine,
or PPSV23), ACIP now recommends the addition of Prevnar 13 (13-valent
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, or PCV13).
The CDC notes that Streptococcus
pneumonia remains a leading cause of serious illness, including infection of
the blood (bacteremia), meningitis and pneumonia in the U.S., particularly
among people living with HIV and other chronic health conditions.
Adults living with HIV who have
already received the Pneumovax-23 vaccine should speak with their health care
providers about receiving the Prevnar 13 vaccine. Prevnar 13 should be given no sooner than one
year after Pneumovax 23 was last administered. Conversely, adults living with
HIV who have not received either vaccine should first receive Prevnar 13,
followed by Pneumovax 23 eight weeks later.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit:
http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
