Shanghai releases vaccination guidance on rheumatic diseases

The Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with doctors at Renji Hospital, has issued the country's first immunization guidelines for adults with rheumatic and immunological diseases.

It is also the country's first immunization recommendation for people with compromised immune systems.

Rheumatic disease is a chronic disease. Infection is the most common cause of complications and death in these individuals, severely affecting their prognosis and quality of life.

Vaccination is a vital infection prevention measure.

The China Association for Vaccines invited experts in clinical medicine, disease prevention and control, and epidemiology to come up with the guidance, which covers eight common adult vaccines against flu, streptococcus pneumonia, COVID-19, shingles, HPV, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and rabies. For patients with rheumatic immune disease, the guidance provides instructions on optimal dosage form, timing, immunity form, and medication renovation.

According to Dr Lu Liangjing of Renji Hospital, a major expert on the guideline, the guidance is simply a starting point, and the expert team will use the most recent research and clinical data to update and refine the guidance to assist patients even more.

"Renji's rheumatology department has been conducting clinical research on COVID-19 and shingles vaccines for the past three years, and it is the nation's first hospital to launch a vaccination consultation clinic for patients with rheumatic immune disease," he said.