Common Questions about Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccines for People Living with HIV

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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

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Midlands and East Region: ART Guidance Published: What Does It Mean For You?

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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

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NICE announce criteria for access to Daklinza, Harvoni, Viekirax and Exviera

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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

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New Booklet: Pocket-Size ART Guide

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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

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NHS England agrees funding for life-saving hepatitis C drug

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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

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Access to Hepatitis C Drugs: Write Your MP

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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

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