Vaccinations and immunisations

An immunisation (often called a vaccination) is designed to protect the recipient against an infectious disease. It's recommended that you should receive the vaccinations against hepatitis A virus and hepatitis B virus. Annual flu jabs are also recommended, particularly if you have a low CD4 cell count, or have any other health problems such as diabetes, heart disease or any lung conditions.

It’s not, however, recommended that people with HIV receive live vaccines, such as the BCG tuberculosis jab, as this might cause illness.

This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.