Can you get shingles shot while taking metrtrarate

[Widgett]

[claireyj]

Hiya , yes but don't quote me on it but have looked into and if taking dmards like Methx yes but if on a biologic medication then no ...

[Hidden]

I would talk to my rheumatologist before taking the shingles vaccination or any other vaccine. Just to make sure it is ok or is not ok. I am curious to know.

[cathie]

My GP arranged for this. She also looked into it carefully. Shingles is such a miserable thing. The only vaccines which are a problem are live ones.

[oldtimer]

The present advice is that it is Ok on MTX, but no evidence yet whether it is safe on biologics.

[Hidden]

Hi Widget

We are not medically trained on the NRAS Helpline but this is an article that we have which has been written by one of our medical advisors on this issue:

Guidance on the new shingles vaccine

Following a number of telephone calls to our helpline about the shingles vaccine, NRAS has asked one of our medical advisors whether or not this vaccine is safe for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

There are two types of vaccine, 'live' and 'inactivated' vaccines. A live vaccine contains an element of the virus itself, which has been weakened, so that it cannot cause the infection associated with the virus. The general guidance to people on disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis is to avoid these ‘live’ vaccines. However, based on information from the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR), the guidance is slightly different for the shingles vaccine.

The following is written by Professor Peter Taylor, NRAS medical advisor

“The Department of Health encourages injection of a vaccine against shingles (caused by Herpes Zoster virus) in adults over the age of 70. The vaccine is called Zostavax. It should be noted that this vaccine works by encouraging the body to raise an immune response to injected virus which has been treated so that it is not as harmful as the naturally occurring Herpes Zoster virus. Instead, Zostavax directs the body’s immune system to become programmed to respond to naturally occurring Herpes Zoster. Nonetheless, the virus used in the vaccine still has potential to cause infection in individuals whose immune system does not function normally or which is dampened down by other drugs they are taking.

For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, it is safe to have the vaccine if you are on prednisolone at doses of 10mg a day or less. It is also safe if you are are taking any of the following: methotrexate, sulphasalazine, hydroxychloroquine, azathioprine or leflunomide. However, if you are on a biologic drug taken by self administered injection or at the hospital by infusion, you should not receive Zostavax immunisation.”

This information is based in part on the following guidelines produced by the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR):

rheumatology.org.uk/include...

If you are unsure of whether or not this vaccine is safe for you to take, please check with your rheumatology team.

Hope this helps

Regards

Beverley

(NRAS Helpline)

[Susiej38]

My rheumatologist had me get the shingles vaccine while I had been doing MTX injections of 20 mg a week. This was back in January. I was very nervous about it, but she told me I could not have it once I started biologics. I was fine. The only reaction I had was slight bruising and soreness at injection site and it wasn't bad at all.