• Present batch of vaccines used against Covid worked against severity and hospitalisations for people with HIV

By Kelum Bandara   

A WHO (World Health Organisation) expert said people living with HIV had an increased risk for severe disease from Covid as well as hospitalisation and stressed the need to prioritise vaccination of them globally.  

Making her remarks during WHO’s Science in 5 programme with Vismita Gupta-Smith, Dr.Meg Doherty, a WHO expert on the subject, said the WHO was taking it seriously. She said such people had 30 per cent risk of them after hospitalisation. “We are becoming more aware. And following the data, it is now very much concerned that people living with HIV have an increased risk for severe disease from Covid as well as hospitalisations,” she said. She said it is important now to help the countries around the world to think about prioritising both testing, treatment and management of hypertension and diabetes among people living with HIV. However, she said the present batch of vaccines used against Covid worked against severity and hospitalisations for people with HIV. She also said it is yet to be seen whether people with low immunity and immunosuppression need booster shots.

• It is important now to help the countries around the world to think about prioritising both testing, treatment and management of hypertension and diabetes among people living with HIV