Can I have vaccinations while I am on rheumatology medication?

If you are on Rheumatology medication that suppress your immune system (table above), you are more vulnerable to pick-up viruses or infections. It is therefore particularly important that you are protected against certain viruses such as the Flu (yearly vaccine) or COVID-19 (government vaccination scheme), or infections such as pneumonia (pneumococcal vaccine).

You must avoid live vaccines such as live shingles vaccine (Zostavax), oral polio vaccine, yellow fever vaccine and German measles (Rubella).

Always check with the person giving you a vaccine if it is ‘live’. Explain you are on DMARDs, Prednisolone, Biologics or biosimilars and cannot have live vaccines.

If possible, you should also avoid contact with adults or children who have received the 'live' oral polio vaccine, for six weeks after vaccination: you should not change babies' nappies, because they will excrete the live polio virus in their faeces for this time.

Some vaccinations are an entry requirement for some countries (e.g., yellow fever), therefore you must discuss this with your GP or travel nurse before making travel arrangements or at least six weeks before your departure.