Study: Vaccines Covid-19 safe for people with rheumatic diseases

Coronavirus vaccines are safe and without side effects for the vast majority of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders, reassures the large international study COVAX of the European Alliance of Rheumatology (EULAR).

European rheumatologists were asked to record as many cases as possible of people with such conditions who were vaccinated against Covid-19, to determine if the vaccine causes a recurrence of the disease or other side effects. These patients were excluded from the initial clinical trials of the vaccines.

The study analyzed data on 5.121 people from 30 countries with different inflammatory / autoimmune or non-inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, etc.). About one third of the patients were taking immunosuppressive drugs (glucocorticoids, mycophenolate, azathioprine, etc.), while the rest were taking anti-rheumatic drugs.

The study, led by Dr Pedro Matsado of the University College London Rheumatology Center (UCL), published in the Annals of Rheumatics Diseases, found that most patients with inflammatory rheumatic or musculoskeletal disorders Covid-19 and show no difference in safety profile compared to the general population or patients with non-inflammatory rheumatic-musculoskeletal disorders. The most common side effects are short-lived injection reactions.

Only 4,4% of those vaccinated developed a recurrence of the disease after vaccination and of these cases only 0,6% (six in a thousand) were considered severe. 98,5% were able to continue their medication normally without any changes after the vaccine, while only 1,5% needed a change. The study also found a low rate of coronavirus infections in people with rheumatic-musculoskeletal disorders after their full vaccination.

Source: RES-EAP