Can Meningococcal Vaccine 10 Days Prior To HIV Test Cause A False Positive?

Posted on Mon, 19 Oct 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 Answered on

Tue, 10 Nov 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : Can a mennicoccol vaccine 10 days prior to HIV test cause a false positive

Answered by Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (19 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Difficult for vaccine to cause false positive results for HIV

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the query

All tests can have false positives.

In this case however, there are no real interactions between meningococcal vaccination and HIV antibodies.

It has not been described in the literature to cause false positives in HIV.

It is possibly not due to a meningoccal vaccine that an HIV test could be a false positive.

Thanks and kind regards,

DR Bain

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (3 hours later)

I understand that their are no new discoveries due to the vaccine being new . I'm asking if an over abundance if the antibodies produced by vaccine can cross react or trick the rapid test . He also has a bacterial infection that was treated with levaquin . I umderatand false positives . I'm asking what can cause them on a screening test .

Answered by Dr. Luchuo Engelbert Bain (13 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Unilikely that abundance of meningococcal antibody cause false positive,PCR

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for the follow up query,

What screening tests do detect is antibodies to either viruses or bacteria. In this case, it is very unlikely since antibodies in case of HIV are viral antibodies and in case of vaccines, in this case a antibodies against meningococcal particles which are bacterial.

False positives can occur due to cross over reactions. Similar bacteria or similar viruses can produce similar antibodies. However, it is rare, not exceptional for viral antibodies to mimic bacterial antibodies.

In case of a positive test in this case, specific more sensitive and reliable tests that detect the viral particle its self like P24 and polymerase chain reactions (PCR) are readily available to clear doubts.

Thanks again and kind regards,

Dr Bain

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj