HIV infection and vaccinations

Abstract

Introduction: Vaccination is mentioned as a most successful way of intervention in public health. Vaccination against other diseases is usually recommended for people with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV/AIDS) infection. Purpose: To identify the correlation of vaccines and vaccination in patients suffering from HIV/AIDS infection. Methodology: This narrative review was based on the bibliographic search of reviews and research studies drawn from the international databases. The exclusion criterion of the articles was the language other than English and Greek. Results: HIV infection is characterized by severe immunodeficiency, which is the result of a decrease in the number of CD4+ T – lymphocytes. The right time to vaccinate a HIV patient is not precisely determined, but it is recommended for those with low CD4 values. All HIV patients are recommended to be vaccinated the annual vaccination of Influenza virus vaccination. It also is recommended to be vaccinated with the vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), the vaccination against hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), the vaccination against herpes zoster or shingles and the vaccination against COVID-19 infection. Conclusion: People with HIV/AIDS are more vulnerable to infections from various diseases. Therefore, it is necessary patients with HIV infection be vaccinated against life-threatening diseases.