AB1248 Vaccination rate in patients with rheumatic diseases: a cross-sectional study in mexican patients

Abstract

Background: Patients with rheumatic diseases have an increased risk of infections, which can be prevented with vaccination schemes. The vaccination rate in rheumatic patients is low in Mexico (17%-25%), mainly because of the lack of physician recommendation. Vaccination strategies have been shown to improve adherence to the application. Objective(s): The objectives of the study was to determine the vaccination rate in patients with rheumatic diseases and the main reasons of failed vaccination. Method(s): We questioned 84 patients from the rheumatology clinic of the Univesitary Hospital "Jose E. Gonzalez", Mexico, from June to July 2017. The vaccination status and the reasons for failed vaccination were recorded. Result(s): The majority of patients were women (89.3%), average age 50 years (17-81 years). Most of the patients had rheumatoid arthritis (45.3%), followed by other autoimmune diseases (27.4%) and non-autoimmune diseases (27.4%). The highest rates of vaccination were for tetanus-diphtheria (44%), influenza (39.3%) and pneumococcus (31%). They were lower for hepatitis B virus (9.8%), human papilloma virus (4.8%), hepatitis A virus (2.4%) and herpes zoster virus (0%). The main reason for failed vaccination was the lack of indication from the physician (34.5%). If indicated, 89.3% of the patients would accept to be vaccinated. Conclusion(s): We found a low vaccination rate in the rheumatology clinic. We found an insufficient promotion and indication of vaccination by the rheumatology staff. Constant fomentation and updated knowledge about vaccination recommendations in autoinmune diseases is necessary for the prevention of infections and to improve the comprehensive care of patients with rheumatic diseases.