COVID vaccine advice please?

[Domhem]

Hello,

Any advice would be great please, I’ve tried to get hold of my rheumatology nurse but they aren’t coming back to me. I’m having the vaccine on Thursday, the same day I’m due my imraldi shot. Have people been given any advice to pause their biologic and if so for how long? I also take azthioprine and prednisone but I’m assuming they are both fine. I’m going to keep trying my rheumatology team but they aren’t great at coming back (including pre Covid) so any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you

[Deniseelk]

I likewise am having my vaccine Thursday and due to inject Benepali that evening. I am also on Hydroxychloroquine and Naproxen. I haven’t come across any advice that states stopping Biologics at all so I have decided to continue as normal. Hope that helps.

[Domhem in reply to Deniseelk]

Okay thank you

[helixhelix]

We can’t give you medical advice I’m afraid so keep trying your own medical team as there is no consistent advice.

This is link to NHS advice page

nras.org.uk/resource/freque...

[Domhem in reply to helixhelix]

Yes that’s what I’m finding, it’s not consistent at all which concerns me. I will keep trying but wanted to gauge responses. Thank you for the link

[helixhelix in reply to Domhem]

🤫 Well you can also take your own decisions and weigh up whether stopping for a week after would harm you, against whether there is a small chance it might possibly help you......

[Domhem in reply to helixhelix]

I don’t think I feel comfortable having my biologic and vaccine the same day and I have no medical grounds for that! I’m feeling okay at the moment so a week would not have a huge impact on me so I’ll probably delay it but I’ll speak to my rheumatology dept and discuss it with them. Thank you

[Pinkypie2018]

My rheumatologist rang me yesterday and I've been advised once I get vaccine to stop methotrexate for two weeks and to delay my imraldi injection also for two weeks. However other people have been told different so its really best to get advice from your own team.

[Domhem in reply to Pinkypie2018]

Okay great, thank you for that. Seems I definitely need to try and speak to my team as the advice all seems so different but it just makes sense to to have a pause so the vaccine can mount as much of an immune response as possible. Thank you again

[Pinkypie2018 in reply to Domhem]

Yes that's what she told me it's better to try and get a good immune response. However she did also say that if I feel like I'm flaring without the meds to contact them. Hopefully someone gets back to you soon about it.

[Domhem in reply to Pinkypie2018]

thank you again

[vonniesims]

Yes, I was told that there is no evidence to say we should suspend drugs. I am on Methorexate and Benepali. However as I am ok at the moment I decided to stop them both a week before and a week after if I stay comfortable that long, but its anyone's guess really I think.

[Domhem in reply to vonniesims]

okay great, thank you, I am due it so I will pause it too but I will speak to my rheumy too

[sweet-pea1 in reply to vonniesims]

It is only a problem if you have had other vaccines recently,I had vit B12 injections plus my Biological injections and all my other drugs in the same week as my vaccine ,all the medics that I spoke to didn't see it as a problem.

[Domhem in reply to sweet-pea1]

Okay thank you

[mummyroo3]

There is some covid 19 vaccine advice here..... rheumatology.org.uk/ my rheumy team signposted me to this when I asked about the vaccine and taking methotrexate - hope this helps and good luck .... I have mine on Saturday 👍🏻😷💉

[Domhem in reply to mummyroo3]

Thank you, I’ll have a read and that’s great news! Seems they are getting through at speed!

[Whezziewhoozie]

NRAS have answered your question on their website

[LondonLinda]

Try calling PALS at the hospital and ask for their help

[missispee]

I had my vaccination on Monday and will inject my Imraldi today. Hopefully I will be fine if not I'll let you know.

[Domhem in reply to missispee]

Thank you!

[Cutes]

Hi, I had my Oxford jab last Thursday and had already had my Imraldi injection Sunday night, so a 4 day gap. I was only given 2 days notice for the jab and decided to risk it. However, my next Imraldi dose is due this coming Sunday and if I dont feel too achy etc, I think I might well delay it a week, just to give the vaccine a good chance to take effect. My instinct would be to at least delay your imraldi for a few days, but if in doubt keep trying your Rheumy advice line. Good Luck!

[Whippet123 in reply to Cutes]

hi do you take imraldi every week?i take mine every other i feel so much better after my jab but was told i could not inject weekly due to license laws

[Cutes in reply to Whippet123]

Hi, yes I take mine fortnightly too. In the past I have paused them for a week or so if, for e.g. I've had a cold. I have even stopped them for several months on 2 or 3 occasions over the last few years, due to other chronic infections, but in those cases, always with the Rheumatology Dept's agreement. I cant think that a week or so delay will matter too much though. I do however think that hospital Rheum. Depts generally should have offered us all some more general guidance on all this- maybe just a reassuring and factual e-mail or letter and it would surely have also prevented them being inundated with our calls!

[Domhem]

I spoke to my team and they said not to pause my biologic as it’s already in my system. I explained I was aware of that but leaving a pause would give the vaccine a better chance of invoking a response as I’m not having a biologic the same day! She said the official guidance said it was fine but I’m going to pause anyway

[julie1908 in reply to Domhem]

Hi Domhem, My appointment to have my covid jab happened so quickly as i received a text message one day to have it the next day but the day they messaged me i had already taken my Enbrel out of the fridge ready to do. So i quickly phoned my Dr at Rheumatology for advise as i didn’t want to do my Enbrel so near to the covid jab but at the same time didn’t want to waste the Enbrel but she said that the Enbrel would last for 2 weeks once removed from the fridge. So i chose to delay my Enbrel for 2 weeks so i get the full effect from the Covid jab. She said that was absolutely fine as long as it doesn’t cause a flare. Which it didn’t. Good Luck tomorrow x

[Domhem in reply to julie1908]

Okay thank you for this, I had the Pfizer one this morning and I’m going to leave a two week gap too, definitely want to try and get as much response out of the vaccine as possible! Thank you!

[Deminem]

Hia,

My rheumy nurses answer machine message says "No need to pause biologics before covid vaccine" I didn't speak to her personally.

I was due to have my Enbrel this coming Friday, and my covid vaccine is on Saturday.

I took my Enbrel a couple of days early this week so there's a 3-day gap between Enbrel and vaccine. Didn't want to take them within a day of one other. Goodness knows if that makes any sense medically. It's a decision I made based on.......well nothing actually, lol! Let's face it, we are stabbing in the dark here!

[Domhem in reply to Deminem]

Yes my nurse said the same and no need to pause but I’m going to anyway! Exactly, none of us really know, fingers crossed!

[Deminem]

It's quite funny how those of us who were told not to pause meds, still do pause them to some degree. So we'd rather go against the medical party line in favour of our own gut instincts, which again has no concrete basis. Interesting huh!

[Domhem in reply to Deminem]

It just makes sense to me but you’re right we are going against our official advice but it seems other people have been told to pause and that to me is better logic so I’m going with that!