Arthritis and the Flu

• People with certain types of arthritis (listed below) have a higher risk of getting flu-related complications, such as pneumonia.
  
  Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
  Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
  Psoriatic arthritis
  Anti-phospholipid syndrome
  Polymyalgia rheumatica
  Systemic sclerosis/scleroderma.
  Spondyloarthropathies.
  Sjögren’s syndrome
  Polymyositis/dermatomyositis
  Vasculitis (e.g giant cell arteritis)
  Necrotising arteritis
  Sarcoidosis
  Polyarteritis nodosa
  
  
• People with inflammatory arthritis or rheumatic disease should get vaccinated.
  
  
• Persons with inflammatory arthritis should not use the inhaled "FluMist®" vaccine.
  
  If you are taking certain medications for your arthritis, they may weaken your immune system, and put you at high risk for getting the flu or complications from the flu. Note: This list applies to medications that are ingested or injected and does NOT include medications that are applied to the skin such as creams and ointments. Your healthcare provider can clarify if the medications that you take weaken the immune system.
  
  

  Steroids (corticosteroids) taken by mouth or intravenously, not applied to the skin or injected into a joint

  prednisone (Deltasone, Orasone, Prednicin-M, Sterapred)

  prednisolone (Prelone)

  methlyprednisone (Medrol)

  hydrocortisone (Cortef, Hydrocortone)

  dexamethasone (Decadron, Hexadrol))

  cortisone acetate (Cortone)

  betamethasone (Celestone)

  DMARDs (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs)

  methotrexate (Rheumatrex, Trexall)

  azathioprine (Imuran, Azasan)

  hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)

  leflunomide (Arava)

  sulfasalazine (Azulfidine)

  minocycline (Minocin, Dynacin)

  cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf)

  mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept)

  gold (Auranofin, Ridaura, Myochrysine)

  chlorambucil (Leukeran)

  cyclcophosphamide (Cytoxan)

  Biological response modifiers (biologics)

  etanercept (Enbrel)

  infliximab (Remicade)

  adalimumab (Humira)

  anakinra (Kineret)

  abatacept (Orencia)

  rituximab (Rituxan)

  tacrolimus (Prograf, FK-506, fujimycin)

  
  
  
• If you have asthma and you develop flu-like symptoms, contact your health care provider or seek medical care and follow these steps for all people with health conditions.

More Information:

Information for People with Inflammatory Arthritis or Rheumatic Disease [CDC]

Arthritis Foundation Flu: What People with Arthritis Should Know*
http://www.arthritis.org/the-flu.php