Vaccinations for RA Patients
Vaccinations are an important consideration for patients with autoimmune forms of arthritis such as Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Care has to be taken with vaccinations because these diseases are autoimmune disorders (i.e. they are related to problems with the immune system), and in addition, many of the medications used to treat them work by suppressing the immune system to a certain degree. While care has to be taken, vaccinations are important because they can help protect patients with weakened immune systems avoid getting sick with serious infections.
We recommend that patients always discuss all vaccinations with their doctor. Depending on a person’s disease and medications, some vaccines (e.g. the flu shot) are generally very safe for people to get any time, while others (e.g. “live” vaccines) can only be safely administered under certain conditions, and must be coordinated with a doctor.
Vaccination Guide
Our PDF vaccination guide for patients outlines which vaccines are safe for RA patients, and under what circumstances.