World Immunisation Week 2015, (April 24-30), will signal a renewed global, regional, and national effort to accelerate action to increase awareness and demand for immunisation by communities, and improve vaccination delivery services.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) vaccine preventable diseases are often more severe and result in higher morbidity and mortality among children with HIV infection owing to compromised immunity. For example, infants born to HIV-infected mothers are at higher risk for measles earlier than nine months of age.
WHO guidelines for immunising children with HIV infection and infants born to HIV-infected women differ only slightly from the general guidelines. Given the high risk of measles before nine months of age, WHO recommends that infants infected with HIV receive an early dose of measles vaccine at six months, followed by a routine dose at nine months (in line with the immunisation schedule).
The benefits of vaccines far outweigh the potential risks in HIV-infected children. The policy of administering routine vaccines to all children, regardless of possible HIV exposure, has been very effective in obtaining high immunisation coverage and control of preventable diseases.
HIV-infected infants vaccinated at six and nine months should receive a third measles vaccination (or second opportunity) to improve protection against measles.
Through the integration of essential services into the maternal and child health clinic, like Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), synchronisation of HIV Exposed Infant (HEI) care with immunisation, and support for other high impact interventions such as Vitamin A supplementation for CLHIV, CHS contributes to closing the access gap for women and children living with HIV, thus reducing the number of preventable illnesses among this vulnerable group.
CHS encourages all women of childbearing age living with HIV to visit the nearest health facility and get to know how they can better protect their children (born and unborn) from vaccine preventable diseases. We also encourage all women of reproductive age taking their children for immunization to receive a HIV test so those infected can receive support to prevent transmission of HIV to their infants.
