Can Shingles Vaccine Cause Rheumatoid Arthritis

People with rheumatoid arthritis ra have roughly twice the risk of healthy older adults of developing shingles a virus related to chickenpox that causes pain and a blistering rash.

Can shingles vaccine cause rheumatoid arthritis.

Risk factors including aging and immunosuppression can lead to the reactivation of the virus usually along the course of a single nerve from the spine. Shingles represents the reactivation of a previous viral infection with herpes zoster the cause of chicken pox. People with chronic conditions like diabetes kidney disease rheumatoid arthritis and respiratory diseases should get the vaccine. This virus is never completely cleared from our bodies but lies quietly in spinal nerve cells.

Talk to your rheumatologist about that. Recombinant zoster vaccine rzv shingrix has been in use since 2017 and is recommended by acip as the preferred shingles vaccine. The shingles vaccines contain ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction in some people. Avoid live virus vaccines with ra it s important to remember that those of us living with rheumatoid arthritis who use immunosuppressant medications such as one of the biologics or methotrexate should avoid receiving live virus vaccines for risk of developing the infection.

Avoid the shingrix vaccine if you ve ever had the following. You should not get the shingrix vaccine if you ve ever had a. The consensus of scientific literature though is that vaccines do not cause rheumatoid arthritis or other rheumatic diseases. Zoster vaccine live zvl zostavax has been in use since 2006.

Many adults have had infection with chicken pox as a child. Most adults have been exposed to varicella zoster virus which causes chickenpox. This is why the shingles vaccine has been off limits. According to the hospital for special surgery with regard to worsening of existing rheumatic disease there haven t been many studies.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful skin rash and people with ra are very vulnerable to it. Rheumatoid arthritis chronic pulmonary disease unless a. Talk to your doctor about which vaccinations might be appropriate for you and when during the course of your treatment is the best time to receive them. Who can and can t get the shingles vaccine.

First rheumatoid disease patients taking methotrexate azathriopine or prednisone may take the shingles vaccine if they re taking specific small dosages of those drugs according to an article in a recent issue of rheumatology news. Two vaccines are licensed and recommended to prevent shingles in the u s.