Age-specific incidence rates of herpes zoster infection are 1.5–2.0 times higher in patients aged ≥40 years with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) than in healthy adults aged ≥60 years (for whom vaccination is recommended). Incidence rates peaked at an average of 19.9 per 1,000 patient-years in patients with SLE, suggesting that vaccination might be beneficial. Live vaccine is not currently recommended in these immunocompromised patients, but safety studies are underway.
References
Yun H. et al. Risk of herpes zoster in auto-immune and inflammatory diseases: implications for vaccination. Arthritis Rheumatol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/art.39670 (2016)
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Collison, J. Time to re-evaluate herpes zoster vaccination?. Nat Rev Rheumatol 12, 254 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2016.60
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrrheum.2016.60