Travel vaccinations

[cross2]

I am unsure about vaccinations. I live in a hot foreign country snd need typhoid heb b polio etc I do not have a rheumatologist consultant here. Is there any vacs I should not have and do I stop metheotrexate before getting them

[helixhelix]

Polio is normally given to children...have you never had it? As only need it once.

You need to check that you get attenuated vaccines, NOT live ones. Both polio and tetanus come in both forms, although Hep B is normally attenuated. Yellow fever is only live and you can’t have it.

You should check with your general doctor, but I have had all sort of vaccines whilst on MTX with no issues. It is only with the Covid vaccine that I was advised to pause MTX beforehand.

[cross2 in reply to helixhelix]

Thank you I will check. I did have polio vac when a child but got it again before moving to the Far East

[oldtimer]

This is the place I look up for information on vaccinations.gov.uk/government/collectio...

It is, of course, a NHS publication so applies to the UK, but it would give you guidance of what you can and can't have and what might be advisable.

[cross2 in reply to oldtimer]

Thank you very much I am from the UK so I trust their advice. I will look it up.

[AgedCrone]

Yellow Fever is a live vaccine so you should avoid that….I have all the other inoculations required for travel to the Far/Mid East & Africa & have had no problems..but you should definitely check with your personal physician before having any injections.

[CagneysMum]

I have sero positive RA and have had all the usual travel vaccinations so there should be options available for you without needing to stop methotrexate.

Also in contradiction to some other posts here I also had a live vaccine Yellow Fever jab 2 years ago. I was planning on travelling around South America including rain forest areas with my husband which put me at risk of yellow fever and I wanted to feel safe.

I was on Hydroxychloroquin and a high dose of methotrexate at the time but my consultant was happy to work with me to safely have the live vaccine. This meant I stopped methotrexate for 2 weeks before and 3 weeks after vaccination. First 3 weeks off methotrexate were fine but the last two were a struggle as my RA fiercely kicked back in, but I had a short course of steroid tablets until it settled again - took about 2 weeks. I had a fabulous time travelling across South America and was so lucky to be able to do that given the awful way in which they have since been impacted by COVID.

I would never do anything solo without my consultants support but also will not accept that things are out of bounds for me without at least exploring the options first. I went armed with naproxen and emergency steroid supplies in case the walking proved too much etc 👍