According to plans released by the U.K. Department of Health, people living with HIV will be some of the first ones in the United Kingdom to be vaccinated for the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, AIDSmap reports.
The secretary of state for health said that individuals with health conditions, including HIV, would precede others in receiving the vaccine, which is expected to be ready in the fall.
Health officials said there’s no reason for HIV-positive people to be at a greater risk for H1N1 or developing complications should they acquire it—unless their CD4 cell count is low. People with CD4 counts below 200 should seek the advice of their HIV clinic if they develop flu symptoms that persist or worsen despite antiviral treatment for flu; part of the reason is that symptoms of an opportunistic infection could be mistaken for flu.
According to the article, to the priority list will also include immunosuppressed people and pregnant women.
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