Flu Vaccine

[Guest guest]

From ABC News, January 2008:

Should I Get A Flu Shot Even Though I Have Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rosenbaum, M.D., Vice-Chief, Internal Medicine, Beaumont Hospitals

-

Question: Should I get a flu shot even though I have rheumatoid arthritis?

Answer: A flu shot should absolutely be taken by every rheumatoid arthritis

patient on a yearly basis. The flu vaccine is a vaccine where the active

agent is not a live virus, so there's no danger of getting the flu from

taking the vaccine, even if you're taking drugs that depress the immune

system. Influenza's such a serious and life-threatening disease,

particularly for patients who are on immune-suppressing drugs, so it's

really important that all rheumatoid arthritis patients get their annual flu

vaccine.

And they should also get a pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against

serious complications of pneumonia, the most common form of pneumonia. And

this is done on a single dose, to be repeated maybe seven to ten years after

the first dose.

Copyright C 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures

From arthritis.com:

Question: Should People With Rheumatoid Arthritis/Other Rheumatic Diseases

Get a Flu Shot?

Should people with

<http://arthritis.about.com/od/rheumatoidarthritis/l/blrheumarthquiz.htm>

rheumatoid arthritis or other

<http://arthritis.about.com/od/diseasesandconditions/> rheumatic diseases

get a flu shot? What guidelines should be followed regarding flu shots for

that population of patients? Is there ever a contraindication for getting a

flu shot?

Answer:

What is the flu?

<http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/000080.htm> Flu, also called Influenza,

is a viral illness that affects the respiratory tract (

<http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/9470.htm> illustration). Symptoms

include:

* <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003090.htm> fever (often high)

* <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003024.htm> headache

* <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003088.htm> fatigue

* <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003072.htm> dry cough

* <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003053.htm> sore throat

* <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003051.htm> runny nose (nasal

discharge) or <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003049.htm> stuffy nose

(nasal congestion)

* <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003178.htm> muscle aches and stomach

symptoms (e.g. <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003117.htm> nausea and

vomiting and/or <http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/003126.htm> diarrhea)

Up to 20 percent of the U.S. population may be affected by the flu with more

than 200,000 hospitalized due to complications such as pneumonia. 15 percent

of the hospitalized patients may die from the illness.

Flu vaccine: Two types

The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated yearly. There are two

types of flu vaccines. The flu shot contains a killed virus which means it

can be given to people with chronic medical conditions such as

<http://arthritis.about.com/od/lupus/> lupus and

<http://arthritis.about.com/od/rheumatoidarthritis/> rheumatoid arthritis.

The flu shot is the recommended vaccine.

Another vaccine that is not recommended is the

<http://adam.about.com/encyclopedia/19664.htm> nasal spray flu vaccine.

Because it is a live virus, it may be dangerous in people with chronic

medical conditions and is not approved even for healthy people who are less

than 5 or older than 49. Also, live nasal vaccine should not be given to

pregnant women.

*

<http://arthritis.about.com/od/preventionandriskfactors/a/flu_vaccine.htm>

Flu Vaccine Offers Protection

When should high risk individuals get the flu shot?

October and November are the optimal time for vaccination but it still may

be beneficial in later months. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention) recommends patients at high risk from flu complications get the

flu shot. Some of these groups include but are not limited to:

(1) people over 65

(2) residents of nursing home or long term care facilities

(3) adults and children 6 months and older who need regular medical care due

to a weakened immune system including patients taking medications such as:

* <http://arthritis.about.com/od/steroids/> corticosteroids (prednisone,

medrol, hydrocortisone)

* <http://arthritis.about.com/od/imuran/> azathioprine (Imuran)

* <http://arthritis.about.com/od/mtx/> methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall)

* <http://arthritis.about.com/od/arava/> Arava (leflunomide)

* <http://arthritis.about.com/od/cytoxan/index.htm> Cytoxan

(cyclophosphamide)

* <http://arthritis.about.com/od/enbrel/> Enbrel (etanercept)

* <http://arthritis.about.com/od/humira/> Humira (adalimumab)

* <http://arthritis.about.com/od/remicade/> Remicade (infliximab)

All of these medications may increase the risk of infection.