HIV patients lose smallpox immunity despite childhood vaccine, AIDS drugs

(Oregon Health& Science University) HIV patients lose immunity to smallpox even though they were vaccinated against the disease as children and have had much of their immune system restored with antiretroviral therapy, according to a study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Called HIV-associated immune amnesia, the finding could explain why people living with HIV still tend to have shorter lives on average than their HIV-negative counterparts despite being on antiretroviral therapy.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news