HIV patients must get third Covid jab first: WHO
A World Health Organisation (WHO) director says those living with HIV need to be first in line to receive a third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Meg Doherty, who leads the UN health agency's Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI Programmes, was speaking on Tuesday during a panel discussion at the International Conference on AIDS taking place in Durban.
"We know that many don't even have their first or second dose, but once that is reached we should be ensuring that the third dose is there.
“Now we stand with WHO, where we do not believe that we should be giving third doses to healthy people until everybody had a first and second dose. So that vaccine equity is critical not just for Covid but for HIV, for people living comorbidities."
She says it's important that people living with HIV are not left behind.
"Last week, the WHO and member states asked them to develop a pandemic preparedness treaty or some sort of global document and global agreement and within there we must advocate that services for comorbidities NCDs, including HIV needs to be part of that so at any point in time when we have another disease that people with HIV are not left behind."
An HIV/AIDS activist says disruptions to treatments and services for patients due to the Covid-19 pandemic will have a profound impact on those living with HIV.
Vuyiseka Dubula says they believe that some people have disengaged from clinical care, over coronavirus transmission fears.
She says there are other concerns.
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