COVID-19 Vaccination Affects on Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Disease Flares

By Wiley August 3, 2021

In a study of 1,377 patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions — such as inflammatory arthritis and lupus — flare-ups of their conditions were uncommon after two doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. In a study of 1,377 patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions — such as inflammatory arthritis and lupus — flare-ups of their conditions were uncommon after two doses of COVID-19 mRNA vaccination.

In the Arthritis and Rheumatology study, 11% of patients reported post-vaccination flare-ups that required treatment, and there were no reports of severe flare-ups. Flare-ups were associated with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, flare-ups in the six months prior to vaccination, and use of combination immunomodulatory therapy.

“Our findings show that the vaccines are safe and should address the safety concerns of hesitant patients,” said lead author Caoilfhionn Connolly, MD, MSc, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “This study highlights that most of our rheumatic patients tolerated the vaccine well, with mostly local reactions such as pain at the injection site, which was quite reassuring, but most importantly, we did not observe any serious flare-ups of their underlying autoimmune disease,” added co. —senior author Julie J. Paik, MD, MHS, also of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Reference: August 4, 2021, Arthritis & Rheumatology.
DOI: 10.1002 / art.41924