Question:

Is it safe for someone who is HIV positive to get vaccinated, and which ones should you get?

Answer provided by:

Peter Shalit, M.D.
Internal Medicine

Certain vaccines are recommended for people with HIV and are considered safe: a flu shot annually; a diphtheria/tetanus booster every 10 years; and a Pneumovax (pneumonia shot) with a second booster 5 years later. In addition, if blood tests show the person has never been exposed to hepatitis A and/or hepatitis B, vaccines for both these viruses are recommended as well. All of the above shots are made from killed or inert material, and do not produce an infection when they are given.

Other vaccines, made from live but weakened viruses, produce a "mini-infection" when they are given. These are considered risky for people with HIV, especially those with impaired immune systems, because of the fear that the live virus in the shot can produce a serious infection that cannot be controlled by the person's weakened immune system. These "live vaccines" include those for measles, mumps, rubella, live polio, chicken pox, and shingles, as well as the live, inhaled flu vaccine. It is currently recommended that people with HIV not take these vaccines, although if someone has good immune function (high CD4 count) it is probably safe.

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