Few HIVers Vaccinate Against Hepatitis

Although it is recommended that HIV-positive people receive preventive vaccines for hepatitis A and B, only a small fraction of them actually are vaccinated against the liver-damaging diseases, according to a study in the May 15 edition of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Of 612 HIV patients at nine U.S. treatment centers deemed eligible for hepatitis vaccination, only 198 (32.4%) received at least one dose of a three-dose hepatitis B vaccine, and only 104 (17%) received all three doses. Rates of hepatitis A vaccination were even lower. Because hepatitis vaccinations are recommended to avoid the liver-related complications of the diseases that are common causes of illness and death in HIV-positive adults, the researchers recommend hepatitis screening, vaccination, and postvaccination testing be included in the routine care of all newly diagnosed HIV patients.