An audit of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in rheumatology outpatients

Thompson WW, Shay DK, Weintraub E, Brammer L, Cox N, Anderson LJ, Fukuda K: Mortality associated with influenza and respiratory syncytial virus in the United States. JAMA. 2003, 289: 179-86. 10.1001/jama.289.2.179.

Lim WS, Macfarlane JT, Boswell TC, Harrison TG, Rose D, Leinonen M, Saikku P: Study of community acquired pneumonia aetiology (SCAPA) in adults admitted to hospital: implications for management guidelines. Thorax. 2001, 56: 296-301. 10.1136/thorax.56.4.296.

Department of Health: Immunisation against infectious disease. London. 1996

Doran MF, Crowson CS, Pond GR, O'Fallon WM, Gabriel SE: Frequency of infection in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with controls: a population-based study. Arthritis Rheum. 2002, 46: 2287-93. 10.1002/art.10524.

Wolfe F, Caplan L, Michaud K: Treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of hospitalization for pneumonia: associations with prednisone, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, and anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy. Arthritis Rheum. 2006, 54: 628-34. 10.1002/art.21568.

Van der Veen MJ, van der Heide A, Kruize AA, Bijlsma JW: Infection rate and use of antibiotics in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate. Ann Rheum Dis. 1994, 53: 224-8.

Bongartz T, Sutton AJ, Sweeting MJ, Buchan I, Matteson EL, Montori V: Anti-TNF antibody therapy in rheumatoid arthritis and the risk of serious infections and malignancies: systematic review and meta-analysis of rare harmful effects in randomized controlled trials. JAMA. 2006, 295: 2275-85. 10.1001/jama.295.19.2275.

Del Porto F, Lagana B, Biselli R, Donatelli I, Campitelli L, Nisini R, Cardelli P, Rossi F, D'Amelio R: Influenza vaccine administration in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. Safety and immunogenicity. Vaccine. 2006, 24: 3217-23. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.01.028.

Fomin I, Caspi D, Levy V, Varsano N, Shalev Y, Paran D, Levartovsky D, Litinsky I, Kaufman I, Wigler I, Mendelson E, Elkayam O: Vaccination against influenza in rheumatoid arthritis: the effect of disease modifying drugs, including TNF alpha blockers. Ann Rheum Dis. 2006, 65: 191-4. 10.1136/ard.2005.036434.

Mease PJ, Ritchlin CT, Martin RW, Gottlieb AB, Baumgartner SW, Burge DJ, Whitmore JB: Pneumococcal vaccine response in psoriatic arthritis patients during treatment with etanercept. J Rheumatol. 2004, 31: 1356-61.

Kapetanovic MC, Saxne T, Sjoholm A, Truedsson L, Jonsson G, Geborek P: Influence of methotrexate, TNF blockers and prednisolone on antibody responses to pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology. 2006, 45: 106-11. 10.1093/rheumatology/kei193.

British Society For Rheumatology: Vaccinations in the immunocompromised person – guidelines for those taking immunosuppressants, steroids and the new biologic therapies. London. 2002

Bridges MJ, Coady D, Kelly CA, Hamilton J, Heycock C: Factors influencing uptake of influenza vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2003, 62: 685-10.1136/ard.62.7.685.

United Kingdom Health Protection Agency. [ http://www.hpa.org.uk ]