BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

Third Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine for selected individuals, including specific groups of Persons Living with HIV (PLWH) now available in British Columbia

The Ministry of Health and Provincial Health Officer announced earlier this month the imminent availability of third doses of COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised persons, including some PLWH. For more information on the Government of BC’s vaccination advice, please click here.

In brief, a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine is now available for PLWH with a Prior AIDS defining illness or Prior CD4 count ≤ 200/mm3 or Prior CD4 fraction ≤ 15% or any detectable plasma viral load since January 2021 or 65 years old or older or perinatally acquired HIV infection.

The BC-CfE has made health practitioners aware of these recommendations and highlighted for each one of them who among their patients is eligible based on the information available within our records.  BC-CfE is therefore encouraging potentially eligible individuals (based on the above criteria) to discuss this matter with their healthcare practitioner, who upon confirming eligibility should furnish each individual patient with a signed attestation form confirming their eligibility for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is needed to book the appointment to receive the third dose of the vaccine. Please note that mRNA vaccines are currently offered in this context in BC.

Finally, please consider that individuals living with HIV may also qualify for a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine based on other factors, including (but not limited to) concomitant medications and co-morbidities, information which is not available to the BC-CfE. Therefore, all individuals living with HIV are encouraged to discuss this matter further with their health care providers, at their next follow up visit.

BC-CfE Interim Recommendations for COVID-19 and Persons with HIV

Recommendations for the prevention, diagnosis, management and treatment of COVID-19 in people with HIV are the same as those for the general population [1]. The available data about the incidence and course of COVID-19 disease in persons with HIV continues to evolve. However, some people with HIV have comorbidities (e.g., cardiovascular disease, lung disease, diabetes mellitus, obesity) that are known to be associated with an increased risk of more severe COVID-19 illness.

Read More

BC-CfE CDET Statement on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in Persons Living with HIV

People living with HIV (PLWH) aged 18 years or older should be vaccinated for COVID-19 if they meet current Public Health criteria for priority groups and if they have no contraindications (see below). These vaccines are not expected to be associated with more serious or different adverse events among PLWH or other immunocompromised individuals.

Read More