Is the vaccine safe for people with HIV? YES. “The Department of Health guidance is clear that people with HIV, regardless of CD4 count, should have a COVID-19 vaccine. None of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines is live so the vaccines cannot cause COVID-19. “We are recommending all of our patients take the Covid-19 vaccine
Posts Categorized / Medication
Midlands and East Region: ART Guidance Published: What Does It Mean For You?
A leaflet written for and by people living with HIV has been published which explains how decisions about prescribing HIV medications are made in the region. You can download it both below and from our Professional section’s Regional Guidelines page. This leaflet relates to the document published in response to a request from NHS England to the HIV Clinical Reference Group members from
Comment on the High Court and PrEP
Dr Steve Taylor, Lead Consultant at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital and PROUD study Investigator, has commented on yesterday’s High Court ruling: “This is excellent news. I do think that it was wrong for NHS England to absolve itself of any commissioning responsibility for PrEP and this ruling has readdressed that position. With over 4,000 people getting
High Court Decision of PrEP Funding
As the BBC reports this morning, alongside a great introductory video about Pre-Exposure Prophulaxis (or PrEP), the National AIDS Trust (NAT) has won a High Court ruling that is set to over-turn the NHS position on funding the “game-changing” treatment. Some months ago, NHS England announced that it considered the provision of PrEP to be a
NICE announce criteria for access to Daklinza, Harvoni, Viekirax and Exviera
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) have announced which of the new treatments will be made available by the NHS to people living with hepatitis C. The NICE decisions will widen access to a range of new all-oral, direct acting antiviral treatments beyond those patients with decompensated cirrhosis who were treated from 2014 under
New Booklet: Pocket-Size ART Guide
The people at HIV i-Base, have just published an excellent pocket version of their ‘Introduction to ART’ leaflet. You can download it here. The Pocket ART guide is an informative but easy-to-read way to access the most accurate information about antiretroviral treatment. Lenny, an HIV positive person involved with the booklet, says in its pages:“I know I was
New Booklet: Introduction to ARTs
Courtesy of our colleagues at HIV i-Base, we’ve just added a new booklet to our ‘Starting Treatment’ section – that means there are now eight great publications to read in that section, which taken together offer a really comprehensive account of what to expect from HIV medication. Introduction to ARTs is a booklet for anyone
New British guidelines recommend treatment for everyone with HIV
Following the results of the START trial, new BHIVA treatment guidelines have been released: The new draft guidelines, published for consultation this week, say that anyone living with HIV who understands the commitment of treatment and is ready to start should receive treatment. The change – from a recommendation to start treatment before the CD4
NHS England agrees funding for life-saving hepatitis C drug
NHS England has approved an £18.7 million investment in a new drug for the treatment of hepatitis C. Around 500 patients with acute liver failure, and/or awaiting liver transplantation, are expected to benefit from the decision to fund Sofosbuvir. The hepatitis C virus causes inflammation of the liver, affecting its ability to function. Whilst many
Access to Hepatitis C Drugs: Write Your MP
In this blog at Channel 4 News, Victoria Macdonald reports on continuing delays in access to hepatitis C treatments and concerns that NHS England is seeking to influence NICE decisions about new hepatitis C treatments on the basis on affordability, rather than cost-effectiveness: Officials at NHS England have been accused of interfering in a process to