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Do COVID-19 Vaccines Increase Your Susceptibility to HIV?

Why do some people think that getting a COVID-19 vaccines might increase their susceptibility to HIV?

A cautionary tale or an unnecessary warning that is just scaring people at risk to get HIV?
A cautionary tale or an unnecessary warning that is just scaring people at risk to get HIV?

Surprisingly, it’s not because of anti-vaccine propaganda

Do COVID-19 Vaccines Increase Your Susceptibility to HIV?

Of course, if this was traditional anti-vaccine propaganda, it would be about how COVID-19 vaccines were giving people HIV.

“Fact check: An Australian vaccine trial did not give trial participants HIV”

Reuters Staff

And yes, folks are pushing that myth…

But that’s not what this warning is about.

It seems that a group of researchers got a letter published in which they raised a concern about adenovirus vectored vaccines because of how their failed HIV trials turned out.

“There is no reason to think COVID-19 vaccines will increase a person’s risk of acquiring HIV, nor are there any data to suggest that this is the case. These concerns have been raised because a certain type, an adenovirus vector, of vaccine being studied to prevent HIV about a decade ago may have increased risk for HIV infection, but that vaccine was constructed differently and was not related to the structure of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the U.S.”

COVID-19 Vaccines and People with HIV Frequently Asked Questions

A warning that most experts have found to be unnecessary.

“Health authorities strongly recommend that everyone living with HIV receive a COVID-19 vaccine to protect themselves against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

There is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines have more side-effects in people living with HIV who are on effective antiretroviral (ARV) therapy than people with no underlying health conditions. However, people living with HIV should let the healthcare staff giving the vaccine know if they have any other health-related conditions, such as allergies, that may put them at risk of more serious side-effects when immunized.”

COVID-19 and HIV: What you need to know

It is also important to note that the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines use a different adenovirus vector than the one mentioned in the Lancet letter.

Still concerned?

Know that the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were not even made using the adenovirus vector technology mentioned in the Lancet letter…

And continue to take steps to reduce your risk of getting HIV.

More on COVID-19 Vaccines and HIV

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