2012 Brazilian Society of Rheumatology Consensus on vaccination of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Abstracts

OBJETIVO: Elaborar recomendações para a vacinação em pacientes com artrite reumatoide (AR) no Brasil. MÉTODO: Revisão da literatura e opinião de especialistas membros da Comissão de AR da Sociedade Brasileira de Reumatologia e um pediatra reumatologista. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÕES: Foram estabelecidas 12 recomendações: 1) Antes de iniciar drogas modificadoras do curso de doença, deve-se revisar e atualizar o cartão vacinal; 2) As vacinas contra influenza sazonal e contra H1N1 estão indicadas anualmente para pacientes portadores de AR; 3) A vacina antipneumocócica deve ser indicada para todos os pacientes; 4) A vacina contra varicela deve ser indicada para pacientes com história negativa ou duvidosa de infecção prévia por varicela; 5) A vacina contra HPV deve ser considerada em adolescentes e mulheres jovens; 6) A vacina antimeningocócica é indicada para pacientes portadores de AR apenas em casos de asplenia ou deficiência de complemento; 7) Existe orientação de imunização contra o Haemophilus influenzae tipo B de pacientes adultos asplênicos; 8) Não há indicação de uma vacina adicional contra BCG em pacientes com AR; 9) A vacina contra hepatite B é indicada para pacientes com anticorpos contra HBsAg negativos; considerar a vacina contra hepatite A em combinação com a hepatite B; 10) Pacientes com grande risco de contrair tétano que receberam rituximabe nas últimas 24 semanas devem utilizar imunização passiva com imunoglobulina antitetânica; 11) A vacina contra febre amarela é contraindicada nos pacientes com AR em uso de imunossupressores; 12) As recomendações acima descritas devem ser revisadas ao longo da evolução da AR.

artrite reumatoide; vacinação; imunização; adulto

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

^IAdjunct Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS; Coordinator, Rheumatoid Arthritis Outpatient Clinic, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre - HCPA

^IICollaborating Professor of Internal Medicine and of the Service of Rheumatology, Medical School, Universidade de Brasília - FM-UnB; PhD in Medical Sciences, FM-UnB

^IIIMaster's degree in Epidemiology; Chief, Service of Rheumatology, BIOCOR Institute, Belo Horizonte, MG

^IVAttending Physician, Sector of Pediatric Rheumatology, Hospital de Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo - HC-FMRP-USP

^VProfessor, Discipline of Rheumatology, Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina - UNISUL; Chief, Service of Rheumatology, Hospital of the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina - HU-UFSC

^VIRheumatologist, Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná - HC-UFPR; Ex-fellow, Service of Rheumatology, Vienna General Hospital (AKH), Austria

^VIIssistant Professor, PhD and Coordinator of the Discipline of Rheumatology, Medical Sciences School, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Unicamp

^VIIIAdjunct Professor, Immunology, Medical School, Universidade Federal do Ceará - FM-UFC

^IXFull Professor of Rheumatology, Medical School, Universidade Federal de Goiás - UFG

^XProfessor with habilitation thesis, FMRP-USP

^XIChief Physician, Sector of Diagnosis and Therapy, Service of Rheumatology, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo - HSPE-FMO

^XIIRheumatologist; Chief, Service of Rheumatology, Hospital Universitário de Brasília, UnB

^XIIIAssociated Professor, Discipline of Rheumatology, Medical Sciences School, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - FCM-UERJ

Correspondence to

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To elaborate recommendations to the vaccination of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Brazil.

METHOD: Literature review and opinion of expert members of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology Committee of Rheumatoid Arthritis and of an invited pediatric rheumatologist.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The following 12 recommendations were established: 1) Before starting disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, the vaccine card should be reviewed and updated; 2) Vaccines against seasonal influenza and against H1N1 are indicated annually for patients with RA; 3) The pneumococcal vaccine should be indicated for all patients with RA; 4) The vaccine against varicella should be indicated for patients with RA and a negative or dubious history for that disease; 5) The HPV vaccine should be considered for adolescent and young females with RA; 6) The meningococcal vaccine is indicated for patients with RA only in the presence of asplenia or complement deficiency; 7) Asplenic adults with RA should be immunized against Haemophilus influenzae type B; 8) An additional BCG vaccine is not indicated for patients diagnosed with RA; 9) Hepatitis B vaccine is indicated for patients with RA who are negative for antibodies against HBsAg; the combined hepatitis A and B vaccine should be considered; 10) Patients with RA and at high risk for tetanus, who received rituximab in the preceding 24 weeks, should undergo passive immunization with tetanus immunoglobulin in case of exposure; 11) The YF vaccine is contraindicated to patients with RA on immunosuppressive drugs; 12) The above described recommendations should be reviewed over the course of RA.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, vaccination, immunization, adult.

INTRODUCTION

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at increased risk for infections.^1,2 Infectious outcomes in RA are among the major causes of death in those patients, and the mortality related to those events can be up to ten times that of the general population.³ Patients with severe disease and/or comorbidities are most often affected.^1,4

Several factors have been associated with that increased susceptibility to infections. One of those major factors is the use of immunomodulators for the treatment of the disease itself, in particular biologics, whose indication has been increasingly frequent and early in the course of disease. The introduction of new agents in the therapeutic arsenal of rheumatology interferes with several points of the immune system.⁵

Knowing that vaccination is the most effective preventive measure for reducing the occurrence of infection at any age group, the vaccine chart should be reviewed and updated before starting either synthetic or biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (Table 1). However, that is often neglected in routine rheumatological practice, leaving a large number of patients unprotected against infectious diseases that could be prevented. Several studies have shown that the vaccine coverage of patients with rheumatic diseases worldwide is suboptimal.^6-8

Some of the vaccines available can have their immunogenicity reduced depending on the patient's immunosuppression status; however, international experience has shown that the administration of most vaccines comprised in the vaccine calendar is safe, considering that they neither worsen the activity nor reactivate manifestations of rheumatic diseases.⁹

The present consensus aimed at reviewing the literature and elaborating recommendations for the indication of vaccines in patients with RA, considering the epidemiological scenario and the resources of medical care in Brazil. The purpose of this document is to summarize the current position of the Brazilian Society of Rheumatology (SBR) on the subject, to guide Brazilian physicians, especially rheumatologists.

METHOD OF CONSENSUS ELABORATION

The method for elaborating the recommendations included a literature review and the opinion of expert members of the SBR Committee of Rheumatoid Arthritis and of an invited pediatric rheumatologist. The bibliographic survey included publications in the MEDLINE, SciELO, PubMed and EMBASE databases up to February 2012.

The recommendations were written and reassessed by all participants during multiple rounds of questioning and corrections performed via internet. Based on the considerations, the experts provided recommendations on the vaccination of patients diagnosed with RA (Table 2).

Inactivated or Recombinant Vaccines

The great advantage of inactivated vaccines is the total lack of infectious potential of the pathogenic agent: such vaccines do not trigger the disease, but maintain the immunologic characteristics of the agent. Inactivated or recombinant vaccines, however, have the disadvantage of inducing a suboptimal immune response, requiring sometimes the association of adjuvants or transporting proteins and the administration of booster shots.

Adhesion to the Brazilian guidelines is recommended for the following vaccines that do not contain live organisms: influenza vaccine (intramuscular - IM); pneumococcal vaccine (13V-conjugated and 23-polysaccharide); tetanus vaccine; diphtheria vaccine; pertussis vaccine; Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine; hepatitis A and B vaccine; poliomyelitis vaccine (inactivated - VIP); meningococcal vaccine; human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine; typhoid fever vaccine (IM); and rabies vaccine.¹⁰ Such vaccines can be safely administered, preferentially 14 days before starting DMARDs, in an attempt to reach the expected immunogenicity. When the vaccine chart cannot be updated prior to the beginning of treatment, all those vaccines can be administered to patients with RA, even those on corticosteroids (CS) and/or synthetic or biological DMARDs, based on their safety demonstrated in several studies;^9,11 the response, however, might be impaired.

Influenza virus vaccine

Respiratory infections are common among patients with RA and have high mortality rate.¹² Vaccination against influenza has proved to reduce the number of hospital admissions and mortality due to respiratory infections in elderly patients, being effective even in patients on DMARDs.¹³

Response to the influenza vaccine seems not to be impaired in patients on anti-TNF agents, even when associated with methotrexate (MTX).^14-16 However, one author has reported a reduced response to that vaccine in patients on infliximab or etanercept associated with MTX.¹⁷ Likewise, one study conducted in Brazil assessing the vaccine against H1N1 influenza has found, in addition to a good safety profile, a reduction in the seroprotection of patients with RA, regardless of disease activity. Methotrexate was the only DMARD associated with a reduced response to that vaccine.¹¹

There is also evidence of an impaired response to pneumococcal and influenza vaccines when administered to patients on rituximab.^13,18,19 The response to the influenza vaccine (including vaccine against influenza A and H1N1) is particularly impaired when administered early, 4-8 weeks after the administration of rituximab. Thus, influenza vaccines should be administered before starting rituximab or 6 months after its first infusion and 4 weeks before its next dose.²⁰

The influenza vaccine is considered safe, and has been used in Brazil in annual campaigns for the population aged 60 years and over and for adults and children over the age of 6 months in special clinical situations, such as patients with RA.¹⁰ It is contraindicated only to patients with history of allergy to egg or to the vaccine itself, as well as to those who had Guillain-Barré syndrome up to 6 weeks after receiving that vaccine.

Seasonal and H1N1 influenza vaccines are indicated annually to patients with RA.

Pneumococcal vaccine

Bacterial infections of the respiratory tract are more common in patients diagnosed with RA as compared with the general population and contribute to increase morbidity and mortality.^21,22 Thus, vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is highly relevant for patients with RA.

In Brazil, the pneumococcal vaccine available for adults is the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (Pn23), a polyvalent vaccine prepared from purified polysaccharides of the bacterial capsule, containing 23 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae.¹⁰ However, it is associated with low immune response when compared with conjugated formulations (pneumo 7, 10 and 13).

The isolated use of MTX or its combination with some anti-TNF agents (adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab) can reduce the efficacy of the vaccine, while the isolated use of those biologics does not influence the response to vaccine.^15,17 In 2011, that finding was confirmed by a study performed with conjugated vaccine against 7 pneumococcal serotypes (Pn7) in patients with RA and spondyloarthritides.²³ A single administration of the Pn23 vaccine offers up to 10-year protection against the development of pneumococcal pneumonia in patients with RA on MTX.²⁴ The safety profile seems appropriate, which was a conclusion common to all those studies.

The additional benefit of the association of the Pn23 vaccine with conjugated vaccines has not yet been shown in patients with RA, but the response to the Pn23 vaccine should be monitored, mainly when administered to patients on synthetic or biological DMARDs. When inappropriate, the administration of a conjugated vaccine should be indicated, knowing that it is much more immunogenic than the Pn23 vaccine.

Usually, the Pn23 vaccine is well tolerated. The adverse events are mild, of short duration and limited to the vaccine application site. More intense local reactions are most often observed after early revaccination, especially in individuals with high titers of antibodies against the pneumococcus.¹⁰

In Brazil, the Pn23 vaccine is used to immunize institutionalized individuals aged 60 years and over. In that population, a single dose of the vaccine is administered with only one booster shot 5 years after the initial dose. It can also be indicated to individuals with chronic diseases, such as heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes, and other conditions considered to increase the risk for pneumococcal disease, such as functional or anatomical asplenia and complement deficiency.^10,25

The pneumococcal vaccine should be indicated for all patients with RA, and can be more effective when administered before beginning synthetic or biological DMARDs.

HPV vaccine

The HPV is a sexually transmitted virus, highly prevalent in Brazil.²⁶ There are more than 100 types of HPV, of which approximately 30 types affect men and women. HPV infection is the major risk factor for uterine cervix cancer, being also associated with tumors of the penis, anus, mouth and throat. HPV also causes genital warts or condyloma acuminatum.²⁷

The quadrivalent vaccine is highly effective to prevent infections by the subtypes 16 and 18 (the most oncogenic subtypes) and 6 and 11 (responsible for genital warts). Several countries recommend vaccination against HPV in young women, ideally before initiating sexual activity. The Brazilian Ministry of Health does not recommend that as a public health guideline,²⁸ but the Brazilian Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA) indicates that vaccination in women aged 11 to 26 years. That vaccine is administered via IM, in 3 doses on the months 0, 1-2 and 6.²⁷ Few adverse events of that vaccine have been described, and some patients can have mild local reactions.

Unlike systemic lupus erythematosus, a condition in which the incidence of HPV infection is known to be increased,²⁶ in RA, data are less well-known. In 2008, a Mexican study showed that 1 in every 3 women with RA can have HPV infection, and more than 90% of the patients have the high-risk viral subtype.²⁹

Studies on the efficacy and safety of the HPV vaccine in patients with RA or other rheumatic diseases still lack. However, because the vaccine contains no viral genetic material and its basis is L1 capsid proteins, it is considered safe for patients with autoimmune diseases, even when immunosuppressed. Other international societies of specialists have suggested that patients with autoimmune diseases might benefit from that vaccine.⁹

The HPV vaccine should be considered for adolescents and young women with RA, preferably before initiating their sexual life.

Meningococcal vaccine

Meningococcal vaccine is indicated to prevent invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis, especially in conditions of particular susceptibility to meningococcus, such as patients with asplenia and complement deficiency. The meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccine is currently available at the Brazilian public health system. It can be administered via IM from the age of 2 months onward, with no upper age limit.¹⁰ Although the incidence of meningococcal disease in adults is low, vaccination is recommended when possible or in case of outbreaks, or travels that entail risk. The quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (types A.C, W135 and Y) should be considered an option to immunize adolescents and adults.

Studies on the efficacy and safety of the meningococcal vaccine in patients with RA still lack. The experience is higher with pediatric patients. It has been proven safe and effective in children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), even when on immunosuppressive drugs.^30,31 The adverse events that might occur in the general population are local reactions, low fever and irritability.

The meningococcal vaccine is indicated for patients with RA, mainly those with asplenia and complement deficiency.

Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine

The Hib is a capsulate bacterium that causes invasive diseases, such as meningitis, epiglottitis, septicemia, osteomyelitis and arthritis. Patients with RA and other rheumatic diseases are at greater risk of developing infections related to that bacterium, having, thus, indication for immunization.³²

Similarly to the meningococcal vaccine, the Hib vaccine is conjugated, comprises polysaccharides of the bacterial capsule, and is administered via IM. That vaccine is part of the Brazilian vaccination calendar, and should be administered to children and adolescents up to the age of 19 years.³³

Patients with rheumatic disease and indication for vaccination against Hib should be immunized as soon as their diagnosis is made, preferentially before beginning the immunosuppressive therapy, because of the possible interference with vaccine response.³⁴

In addition to the indication of Hib vaccination for children and adolescents with rheumatic disease, asplenic adults with RA should also be immunized. Studies on safety and efficacy in patients with RA still lack.¹³

Hepatitis A and B vaccine

There is no evidence that infections by hepatitis A (HVA) or B (HVB) viruses are more prevalent in patients with RA. However, screening of liver diseases and preventive measures against liver diseases are highly recommended in that group of patients due to their frequent use of hepatotoxic drugs, and the fact that Brazil has changed its endemic situation of hepatitis A, being currently considered of intermediate risk, meaning an increase in the number of susceptible adult individuals.³⁵

In Brazil, vaccines available against HVA and HVB are produced by using recombinant DNA technology, and the combined formulation of both exist. The hepatitis A and B vaccines are considered safe.¹⁰ They might cause local reactions, fever in the first 24 hours, fatigue, headache, irritability and gastrointestinal discomfort.

In RA, the safety and efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine have been assessed in a prospective study.³⁶ Vaccination against hepatitis B has been associated with neither a significant deterioration of any clinical or laboratory measure of the disease, nor other important adverse events. Regarding efficacy, 15 of 22 (68.2%) patients responded to vaccination, with titers of antibodies against HBsAg of 10 IU/L after 7 months. The response rate was lower than that of the general population (85%-95%). In addition, the use of anti-TNF agents might significantly reduce the vaccine response.³⁷ Studies of HVA in patients with RA still lack.

The hepatitis B vaccine should be indicated for patients with RA when their serology against HBsAg is negative, preferably before beginning treatment with biological DMARDs.

The hepatitis A vaccine should be indicated for patients with RA because of their increased susceptibility to infection by that virus in our population, and because of the additional risk of hepatitis A-associated macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and fulminant hepatitis in patients on chronic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).^38,39

Combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP/Tdap) and combined vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus (dT)

The DTaP is a combined vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, in which the pertussis component is acellular.³⁴ Adult and elderly individuals with a complete basic vaccination schedule should receive a booster shot with Tdap (combination vaccine with acellular pertussis of the adult type) every 10 years. The combined vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus (dT) is indicated for adolescents and adults.

Individuals with an incomplete basic vaccination schedule (who have received fewer than 3 doses of the tetanus component during their lives) should complete their 3-dose schedule, receiving 1 dose of Tdap and 1 or 2 doses of dT according to the 0-2-6-month schedule. The Tdap vaccine is strongly indicated for the elderly. Individuals who have received the dT vaccine at least 2 years before should receive 1 dose of the Tdap vaccine.³⁴

The Brazilian Ministry of Health recommends the vaccine with whole cell pertussis (DTP for children or dT for adolescents and adults). The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan-American Health Organization continue to recommend the DTP vaccine for most countries, assuring its efficacy and safety. The DTaP vaccine is not part of the routine calendar. Several developed countries indicate the acellular forms as follows: DTaP for individuals < 7 years and Tdpa for adolescents and adults.

After completing the vaccination schedule, the vaccine should be administered every 10 years, and, in case of pregnancy or wounds suspected of causing tetanus, every 5 years.

The vaccines against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis are safe for adults and children with rheumatic diseases. The same vaccination schedule of healthy individuals is recommended for patients on immunosuppressive drugs.

Patients with RA and at high risk for tetanus, who received rituximab in the preceding 24 weeks, should undergo passive immunization with tetanus immunoglobulin in case of exposure.^18,19

LIVE ATTENUATED VACCINES

This group includes the following vaccines: MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) triple vaccine; Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine; vaccine against infl uenza (nasal); vaccine against varicella; vaccine against herpes zoster; typhoid fever vaccine; vaccine against poliomyelitis (oral polio vaccine - OPV); vaccine against smallpox; and vaccine against yellow fever (YF).

The Brazilian guidelines for vaccination with live attenuated vaccines against MMR, varicella and booster shot of YF should be applied to patients with RA, except when they are known to be immunosuppressed, on high doses of CS, alkylating agents and/or biologics, until further data are available. Those vaccines can be used for rheumatologic patients on usual doses of synthetic DMARDs.

Vaccines in this group should be preferably indicated 2-4 weeks before beginning the immunosuppressive therapy, to assure that viral replication is over before the change in the patient's immune competence due to the use of the medication. Otherwise, when the immunosuppressive treatment has already started, vaccination should be postponed for at least 1 month after CS therapy discontinuation, 3 months after cytotoxic and human immunoglobulin treatment discontinuation, and 6 months after rituximab discontinuation. For the other biological DMARDs, a period corresponding to 4 half-lives should be observed after drug suspension.

However, some specific situations, such as the occasional use of the YF vaccine in the population of endemic areas, should be considered.⁴⁰

BCG vaccine

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection remains the most lethal infectious disease in the world, accounting for approximately 1.7 million deaths per year. Brazil ranks the 17th position out of the 22 countries responsible for 80% of all cases of tuberculosis (TB) in the world.10,41 Patients with RA are at increased risk for TB, especially with the advent of anti-TNF-alpha therapy.

Patients with RA on synthetic DMARDs have an incidence of TB 2- to 10-times greater than that of the general population. When patients are on TNF-alpha inhibitors, their incidence of TB is 6 to 10 times greater than that of patients who are not on biologics; in addition, their rate of TB is 30 times higher than that of the general population, reaching 144 per 100,000 person-years.⁴¹ If preventive measures against TB are not adopted before the use of anti-TNF-alpha therapy, the risk is even higher.⁴³

The BIOBADA Brasil, the Brazilian registry of patients with rheumatic diseases on biologics, shows 3 cases of TB out of 466 patients with RA on anti-TNF-alpha therapy.²²

The BCG vaccine, the only licensed vaccine against TB, is elaborated from attenuated bacteria of bovine origin (Mycobacterium bovis), which is similar to the microorganism causing TB (Mycobacterium tuberculosis).¹⁰

In Brazil, the BCG vaccine is primarily indicated for children aged 0 to 4 years, being mandatory for those under the age of 1 year. According to most studies, its efficacy is 50% (range, 10%-66%) for all forms of the disease, but it is insufficient to protect against the pulmonary forms (efficacy lower than 50% in the majority of the most consistent studies). It protects against tuberculous meningitis, disseminated forms of the disease (range of efficacy, 68%-100%), and leprosy. The immunity is maintained for 10-15 years. The BCG vaccine does not protect individuals already infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

An additional BCG vaccine for patients with RA is not indicated, because, in most of those patients, TB is due to disease reactivation or new infection, forms that the vaccine does not prevent. In addition, the efficacy of the BCG vaccine has not been proven in adults. The fact that it has an attenuated mycobacterium is another relevant factor supporting its contraindication in patients with RA.^10,41

Vaccine against varicella and herpes zoster

Patients with RA are at higher risk of developing herpes zoster infection versus general population.⁴⁴ That risk is even greater in patients on CS therapy and biologics.^44,45

The vaccine against varicella contains live attenuated viruses derived from the Oka strain, and is administered subcutaneously.¹⁰ It has been proven to reduce the number of infections and complications, such as postherpetic neuralgia in immunosuppressed patients (on chemotherapy and post-transplantation), as compared to those reporting infection with the wild virus in childhood.^10,46

The vaccine against herpes zoster, still not available in Brazil, also had its efficacy confirmed in adults over the age of 60 years⁴⁷ and in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases over the age of 50 years.⁴⁸ According to those studies, that vaccine is indicated for patients over the age of 50 years and diagnosed with rheumatic diseases based on the American College of Rheumatology criteria, even when they are on DMARDs at usually recommended doses.⁴⁹ The use of low doses of immunosuppressive drugs, such as MTX (< 0.4 mg/kg/week) and azathioprine (< 3.0 mg/kg/day), is not considered sufficiently immunosuppressive to jeopardize that vaccine's safety, not constituting a contraindication to its administration.⁴⁹

The vaccine against varicella should be indicated for patients with RA and with a negative or dubious history for that disease and/or previous vaccination, preferably before starting immunosuppression. It is contraindicated when patients are immunosuppressed, receiving the following: high doses of systemic CS (> 20 mg of prednisone per day or equivalent) for 2 weeks or longer; pulse therapy; cytotoxic or alkylating agents; synthetic DMARDs at doses above those recommended; or immunobiological therapy.⁵⁰

The vaccine against varicella might be indicated for patients with stable disease on low CS doses and usual MTX doses. If either the virus or infectious symptoms persist after vaccination, treatment with acyclovir is a possibility.^49,50

Vaccine against yellow fever

Yellow fever is a noncontagious viral hemorrhagic febrile disease, transmitted by the bite of insects, especially those of the Aedes and Haemagogus genera.⁵¹ In Brazil, the endemic area comprises mainly the Northern and West-Central regions, corresponding to approximately 68% of the territory.⁵² The overall lethality ranges from 5%-10%. It is estimated that only 10% of the cases are severe forms, associated with high lethality (range, 40%-60% of the cases). There is no specific treatment for the disease, the YF vaccine being the major preventive measure.⁵¹

The 17D vaccine against YF provides protection for at least 10 years, and even for the entire life.^52,53 Within 30 days, more than 90% of vaccinated individuals develop antibodies against the disease.⁵⁴ Of those individuals, 98%-100% become immunized.^55,56

The YF vaccine is contraindicated to patients with RA on immunosuppressive drugs, because it is a live, attenuated vaccine, and there is risk of an uncontrolled vaccine viral replication.^9,54,57 Cases of YF vaccine-associated viscerotropic disease have been reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatic polymyalgia.^58-60

Another factor to be considered is the seroconversion ability of those patients, which is inversely proportional to the immunosuppression degree.⁵⁷

Anaphylaxis secondary to the YF vaccine is another relevant aspect, occurring at the frequency of 0.8 to 1.8 per 100,000 doses, being attributed to allergy to egg or to the gelatin used in the vaccine's production.^61,62 The most relevant severe adverse events are YF vaccine-associated neurotropic and viscerotropic diseases,^52,54,63 having the latter an expected lethality of around 60%.⁵⁴

Only 2 studies have assessed the response to YF vaccination in rheumatic patients on immunosuppressive agents and their adverse events.^40,64

Regarding adverse events in rheumatic patients, the only existing study has reported a case series of 70 patients with several rheumatic diseases, who had been inadvertently immunized with the YF vaccine. All of them had already been previously vaccinated against YF. Of the 70 patients, 16 (22.5%) reported minor adverse events, a figure compatible with that expected for the healthy population.⁴⁰

Regarding the immune response in rheumatic patients, a study has assessed 17 patients with RA on biological therapy, who received the YF vaccine. Comparing the antibody titers between patients and controls, a trend of reduced response in the group of patients with RA was observed, although a statistical analysis could not be performed because of the small number of patients.⁶⁴

The WHO recommends vaccination of the population residing in endemic areas and of travelers to those regions, with a boost every 10 years.⁵³ The current recommendation is that immunosuppressed patients should not be vaccinated against the disease.^9,65 Thus, the YF vaccine is contraindicated to patients with RA on immunosuppressive drugs, including synthetic and biological DMARDs.

Vaccination against YF in patients with RA living in endemic areas, close to the wild or who will be exposed during work is controversial, and, so far, no consensus has been achieved. A risk-benefit analysis requires considering whether the risk of contracting the natural infection é higher than that of experiencing a severe adverse event.⁵⁷ Physicians should provide their patients with information on endemic areas, individualized risk of infection, and each patient's immunosuppression status, so that the indication of vaccine to that population in specific and very particular situations can be assessed; the decision to vaccinate, however, is up to each patient.⁶⁵

Vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR or triple viral vaccine)

The triple viral vaccine is a combined vaccine containing live, attenuated viruses, and which protects against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). It is administered subcutaneously. Usually, the MMR vaccine causes few adverse events, being well tolerated. All individuals should receive or have received 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, with a minimum interval of 1 month. More than 2 doses are not necessary.

It is worth noting that, as the MMR vaccine became part of the official Brazilian vaccination calendar only in 2003, most patients with RA might not have received that vaccine. The MMR vaccine is indicated to childbearing age women, because of the risk of congenital rubella, and to all patients with a negative serology or who travel to endemic areas, except for the restrictions applied to vaccines of live, attenuated viruses.

Only 2 studies have assessed the safety of the MMR vaccine (booster shot) to patients with JIA. Both studies evidenced appropriate safety and immunogenicity.^66,67 Studies on the safety of the MMR vaccine to adults with RA still lack.

CONCLUSIONS

Safe and effective vaccination is crucial for patients with RA, because of their increased risk of infection. Vaccination is no longer exclusive to children, and currently adolescents, adults, pregnant women and the elderly have specific and individualized immunization programs.

The vaccine chart should be updated as soon as the diagnosis of RA is established, preferably before starting DMARDs. The recommendations of the SBR Committee for RA followed the Brazilian guidelines for vaccination, because those guidelines consider local epidemiology, resources and health policies. Vaccines against Hib, pneumococcus, meningococcus, HPV, hepatitis A, and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are not universally recommended in the Brazilian guidelines, but are considered important in the management of those patients. There are specific recommendations for those vaccines.

Several recommendations proposed have not been based on the best degree of scientific evidence, and some limitations should be highlighted in the present study. To properly assess the efficacy of a certain vaccine, studies aimed at assessing the number of infections prevented with the intervention should have been conducted. That type of study cannot be performed because of the number of patients required, the follow-up time necessary, and ethical issues; thus, the results analyzed in this study were based on intermediate outcomes (immunogenicity).

Usually, vaccines have good immunogenicity in patients with RA, except for some conditions depending on the type and dose of the immunosuppressive treatment and the type of vaccine. Patients on MTX showed a reduced response to the Pn23, while the T-dependent response to conjugated or live, attenuated vaccines was considered adequate. Responses to several vaccines (influenza, VZV) were reduced in patients on high doses of either CS or azathioprine. The use of rituximab is related to a reduction in the T-dependent and T-independent responses to vaccines. To yield an adequate and safe immune response, vaccination should be ideally performed before the introduction of immunosuppressive drugs.

Regarding safety, both disease activity and adverse events were studied. It is worth emphasizing that there is no study with satisfactory statistical power to assess adverse events in patients with RA for most vaccines. However, the administration of inactivated vaccines during the use of CS, usual doses of DMARDs, and anti-TNF seems to be safe. Because data on vaccines with live components are still scarce, their indication is limited to booster doses of the varicella, YF and MMR vaccines, apparently safe in patients on regular doses of MTX and low doses of CS. The first dose of those vaccines should be administered before starting the treatment of patients with RA, observing the already described intervals.

This study aimed at establishing consensual guidelines for the vaccination of patients diagnosed with RA, by using evidence obtained from the best studies available, to standardize the indication of immunization by rheumatologists and other professionals managing those patients, considering specific aspects of the Brazilian reality. We believe that implementing those guidelines is perfectly feasible in Brazil, considering that the Brazilian Immunization Program (PNI) is one of the most successful public health initiatives in Brazil.

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2012 Brazilian Society of Rheumatology Consensus on vaccination of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Claiton Viegas Brenol^I; Licia Maria Henrique da Mota^II; Bóris Afonso Cruz^III; Gecilmara Salviato Pileggi^IV; Ivânio Alves Pereira^V; Lucila Stange Rezende^VI; Manoel Barros Bertolo^VII; Max Victor Carioca Freitas^VIII; Nilzio Antônio da Silva^IX; Paulo Louzada-Junior^X; Rina Dalva Neubarth Giorgi^XI; Rodrigo Aires Corrêa Lima^XII; Geraldo da Rocha Castelar Pinheiro^XIII

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  09 Apr 2013
• Date of issue
  Feb 2013

History

• Received
  03 July 2012
• Accepted
  14 Aug 2012