Shingles Vaccine For Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

The study looked at patients with rheumatoid arthritis psoriasis psoriatic arthritis ankylosing spondylitis an inflammation of the spine or inflammatory bowel disease.

Shingles vaccine for rheumatoid arthritis patients. The nasal spray version contains live virus so it s not recommended for people with weakened immune systems. Guidance issued by the british society for rheumatology bsr based on the department of health green book on immunisation suggests that until further evidence of safety is established for the zostavax shingles vaccination it would not be recommended to anyone taking a biologic drug for rheumatoid arthritis. Recombinant zoster vaccine rzv shingrix has been in use since 2017 and is recommended by acip as the preferred shingles vaccine. Shingrix recommendations two vaccines are licensed and recommended to prevent shingles in the u s.

A 2015 study published in arthritis care research used a registry of 28 852 people with ra to look at shingles risk with various drugs including corticosteroids conventional disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs dmards and biologics. Your doctor might also recommend the pneumonia vaccine and the shingles vaccine. Zoster vaccine live zvl zostavax has been in use since 2006. Zostavax was licensed in 2006.

Shingrix and zostavax are the two vaccines for shingles prevention licensed for use in the u s. The new vaccine called shingrix was approved on october 20 2017 by the fda for the prevention of shingles herpes zoster in adults aged 50 years and older. Talk to your rheumatologist about that. And recommended by the advisory committee on immunization practices.

Keeping up with your vaccinations is always a smart move but getting immunized is especially important when you have an autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis ra both ra and the medicines you take to treat it can increase your risk for infections. First rheumatoid disease patients taking methotrexate azathriopine or prednisone may take the shingles vaccine if they re taking specific small dosages of those drugs according to an article in a recent issue of rheumatology news. Patients who have weak immune systems are vulnerable to getting shingles and the shingles vaccine is a live vaccine he added. Should not take the shingles vaccines.

When joan wilkinson s ra flared her rheumatologist insisted that she and her husband get pneumonia and shingles vaccines to protect her. Patients on some of the non biologic dmards such as methotrexate may be able to have the vaccine but if you are invited to have this vaccination please check with your. Results showed only corticosteroid use and aging were linked to an increased risk of shingles.