Compared with HIV negative individuals, if you are HIV positive you may have an increased risk of infection or experience more severe disease following exposure to illnesses, both childhood diseases and infections which may be acquired abroad, for which there are effective vaccines.

Some vaccines may need to be given repeatedly to HIV positive persons and others may not be recommended if your CD4 count is very low.

As HIV treatment improves, guidelines are constantly changing so it is important to tell your HIV doctor when you are travelling abroad so he/she can advise you on what vaccinations you might need and where to get them.