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The polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) has long been recommended for HIV-positive people, but how protective is it at preventing diseases like bacterial meningitis and pneumonia? The results of a Spanish study, published online by Clinical Infectious Diseases, suggests that the vaccine is effective at preventing these potentially serious illnesses in people living with HIV, regardless of their CD4 cell counts.
The study involved chart reviews involving 736 HIV-positive patients, which included individuals with and without a history of illness caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Factors that increased the risk of pneumococcal disease were liver cirrhosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (such an emphysema) and alcoholism. Protective factors included the use of antiretroviral therapy and receipt of the pneumococcal vaccine.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the risk of pneumococcal infection is up to 100 times greater in HIV-infected persons than in other adults of similar age. It is recommended that PPV be given once every five years. While studies suggest that people with low CD4 counts are less likely to respond to PPV, the Spanish study concluded that the vaccine—combined with antiretroviral therapy—is protective in HIV-positive people with fewer than 200 CD4s.
