Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jarthur!ucivax!ucla-cs!claris!netcom!jfh@ames.arc.nasa.gov
From: claris!netcom!jfh@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Jack Hamilton)
Newsgroups: sci.med.aids
Subject: Re: Innoculations for pwa and HIV's w/low t-cell counts
Message-ID: <39453@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Date: 27 Sep 90 18:05:22 GMT
References: <39403@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Sender: news@CS.UCLA.EDU
Organization: Netcom- The Bay Area's Public Access Unix System {408 241-9760 guest}
Lines: 20
Approved: ddodell@stjhmc.fidonet.org (David Dodell)
Note:	Copyright 1990 by Daniel R. Greening.  Permission granted for
Note:	non-commercial reproduction.
Archive-number: 2550

In article <39403@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> IABF%SNYCENVM.BITNET@oac.ucla.edu (Amy 
Francis) writes:
>Please, informed people, let me know the risks involved in innoculating
>someone with a very low count.  Should it be done?  etc...

I'm not a doctor or a caretaker, but what I have read encourages
vaccination when the risk of catching the disease is greater than the
risk of the vaccination.  If your friend is traveling to an area which is a
hotbed of disease, a vaccination might be a good idea.  Flu shots are
tricky, because no one really knows what viruses are going to be active
during the season, and you have to get the shots before the season starts.
If the active flu viruses are influenza A, taking amantadine might be an
alternative (anyone know if studies have been done on the interaction
between amantadine and HIV?) 

If you are HIV- and you hang around people who are HIV+, you should get the
flu vaccine.  You might catch an asymptomatic case of the flu, and
unknowingly spread it to people with weakened immune systems.  
-- 
Jack Hamilton                        jfh@netcom.uucp   or   netcom!jfh@apple.com