‘Patients with rheumatologic diseases are rightfully concerned about the risk of flares after getting their COVID vaccines, especially after holding immune modulators,’ says says Physician Editor Bharat Kumar, MD, MME, FACP, FAAAAI, RhMSUS. ‘A new study is reassuring that flares are rare, even after holding or discontinuing immune modulators.’ The development of a vaccine for…
The development of a vaccine for COVID-19 changed the course of the pandemic; however, it also raised questions about whether to withhold or reduce immunosuppressive therapies and other medications for patients with inflammatory, rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (IRMD), note the authors of a new study published in Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. An argument for…
The ACR recently released its first guideline focused on vaccination in adult and pediatric patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.1 The guideline recommends modifications to certain vaccine and medication schedules to increase immunogenicity and ensure patient safety, while encouraging providers not to miss vaccination opportunities. The Need Patients with rheumatic conditions who are on immunosuppressive…
This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations on the use of vaccinations in children and adults with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. It includes expanded indications for some vaccines, as well as guidance on whether to hold immunosuppressive medications or delay vaccination to maximize vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy.
Vaccinations against preventable diseases, including seasonal influenza, are strongly recommended for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), who are at increased risk of infections as a result of underlying immune dysfunction and treatment-induced immunosuppression. Park et al. conducted this clinical trial to investigate whether discontinuing methotrexate for one week after seasonal influenza vaccination is noninferior to discontinuing it for two weeks after vaccination in patients with RA.
PHILADELPHIA—The treatment of rheumatic diseases is often a double-edged sword: immunosuppressive regimens can be very effective in reducing disease activity, but the cost of such treatments may be seen in the form of increased risk of infection. At ACR Convergence 2022, the session titled ACR Guidelines for Vaccination in Patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases…
A prospective observational study by Syversen et al. found that patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID) had an attenuated serologic response to the standard two-dose vaccine regimen but a third dose was safe and effective.
COVID-19 vaccinations are safe for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), with manageable side effects and a low incidence of flare, according to a recently published study in The Lancet.1 The use of mRNA vaccines, such as those from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have been viewed as riskier than traditional vaccines because of a concern…
In January A&R, Simon et al. report a study to assess humoral and cellular immune responses after infection with, or vaccination against, SARS-CoV-2 in patients with B cell depletion and controls who are B cell competent, finding that B cell depletion completely blocks humoral but not T cell SARS-CoV-2 vaccination response. In the same issue, Connolly et al. evaluated disease flare and post-vaccination reactions in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases following messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination.
Researchers shared findings on the immune response to COVID-19 vaccination in immunocompromised patients, insights into cognitive impairment in SLE & more.