FAQs

Please discuss with your health team whether the vaccine is suitable or not, as this depends on different factors such as your T cell function as well as whether or not you are on immunosuppressive therapy. You can find information on the shingles vaccine at Shingles vaccine overview - NHS (www.nhs.uk) 

All girls aged 12 to 13 are offered HPV vaccination as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme. The vaccine protects against cervical cancer. It’s usually given to girls in year eight at schools in England.  The vaccines available are recombinant protein vaccines – virus-like particles, with no live virus potential so they are safe for girls who have

Both the meningitis and septicaemia vaccines are killed vaccines so PID patients should definitely have the vaccination. PID patients may not make the most effective response to the vaccine but it’s better to have some protection. 

Many but not all patients are suitable for pneumococcal vaccine.  Patients on immunoglobulin (Ig) replacement therapy would not normally receive it but may do if their Ig is stopped.  Other patients may have specific contraindications and this would be best discussed with their specialist health team. 

Pneumococcal vaccine is not usually given whilst on Ig therapy.  This is because there is a good spread of anti-pneumococcal antibodies in Ig, and this is part of its value.  Pneumococcal vaccine can be “neutralised” by the antibodies present in the Ig.  There is a limited useful T-cell response that would help provide further protection

It is very difficult to give blanket advice on vaccination for people with immunodeficiency.  We advise that you discuss this with your specialist team as they can provide advice specific to you and your condition.   Some patients will be given pneumococcal vaccine as part of their work up, patients on immunoglobulin therapy would not normally

There are two types of vaccines for the ‘pneumonia jab’ Streptococcus Pneumoniae (pneumococcus).  Pneumovax is a vaccine prepared from a mixture of 23 bacterial polysaccharide (sugar) components which is effective in older children and adults. This is used to protect those that have sickle cell disease or have had their spleen removed, to prevent chest

To date no cases of transmission have been reported. Children well enough to attend mainstream school do not need to avoid other children who have received the vaccine, but PID patients should not receive the live virus as a direct inoculation. Children undergoing or recovering from bone marrow transplant or with SCID (untreated) are advised

Although vaccinated children are known to shed virus a few days after vaccination, the vaccine virus that is shed is less able to spread from person to person than the natural infection. The amount of virus shed is normally below the levels needed to pass on infection (transmit) to others and the virus does not

Although vaccinated children are known to shed the virus a few days after vaccination, the vaccine virus that is shed is less able to spread from person to person than the natural infection. The amount of virus shed is normally below the levels needed to pass on infection (transmit) to others and the virus does