The Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children With and Exposed to HIV (Pediatric Opportunistic Infection Guidelines) have been updated.  

Major revisions within the last 6 months are as follows: 

Bacterial Infections 

• Updated the literature for bacterial infections in children with HIV and children who were exposed to HIV but not infected, including epidemiology, infection risk and vaccine recommendations.
• Added vaccine recommendations for the use of pneumococcal vaccines PCV15, PCV20, and PPSV23 in children with HIV.
• Updated recommendations for the diagnostics and management of bacterial infections with considerations made for newer technology (including molecular testing), antimicrobial stewardship, and changes in relevant treatment guidelines.  

Hepatitis C Virus Infection 

• Recommended hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA testing for infants between 2 to 6 months with perinatal HCV exposure.
• Added information and recommendations supporting the use of pangenotypic direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in children aged 3 years and older.  
• Noted treatment for HCV during pregnancy can be considered with shared decision-making. 

All updates are developed by the subject matter groups listed in Appendix C of the guidelines and reviewed by editors and relevant outside reviewers before finalization. 

For a list of recent updates, please see What's New in the Guidelines. To view or download the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children With and Exposed to HIV, go to the Clinicalinfo website. The guidelines tables and recommendations also can be downloaded as separate PDF files. 

Clinicalinfo welcomes your feedback on the latest revisions to the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Opportunistic Infections in Children With and Exposed to HIV. Please send your comments with the subject line “Pediatric Opportunistic Infections Guidelines” to HIVinfo@NIH.gov by December 12, 2024.