“We have noticed a decrease in the number of people getting tested for HIV over the past year. Thus, they must definitely be among the priority groups for the vaccine,” said Dr. Doherty. She added that all WHO approved Covid-19 vaccines are safe to be used among people living with HIV. Meanwhile, Dr. Doherty noted that over the course of last year, there has been a reduction in testing and access to HIV related services in many countries, as a result of the pandemic. According to the National STD/AIDS Control Programme, by the end of 2019, there were approximately 3,600 people living with HIV in Sri Lanka.

Source: The Nation August 10, 2021 17:01 UTC