Overall, vaccines are highly effective, but some folks are at risk for poorer response.
Studies of COVID-19 outcomes among people living with HIV have yielded conflicting results, but some show that HIV-positive people are at greater risk for severe illness and death. Many people with HIV are older and have other chronic health conditions, and experts stress that they should get vaccinated—and boosted—as soon as possible.
“All of the authorized vaccines are safe and effective for people with HIV,” says Melanie Thompson, MD, of the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta. “Vaccination should be a very high priority.”
But how well do the vaccines work for people living with HIV? Once vaccinated, can they finally ease up on some precautions and start to resume their normal activities?
We know that people with compromised immunity are at risk for more severe COVID-19 and can have slower and weaker immune responses after infection or vaccination. Studies show, for example, that organ transplant recipients and cancer patients treated with immunosuppressive medications may not be fully protected.