Vaccine Guidance
Updated June 17, 2021
The physicians of Arthritis & Rheumatism Associates encourage our patients to obtain any of the COVID-19 vaccines as they become available. Based on the data for the COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S., there is no preference for one COVID-19 vaccine over another.
We support the new (2/10/2021) guidance from the American College of Rheumatology regarding how to take various medications around the time of COVID-19 vaccinations that use mRNA (by Pfizer and Moderna):
If you take ibuprofen, naproxen, other NSAIDs, or Tylenol, and your rheumatologic disease is doing well, do not take them for 24 hours prior to vaccination (no restrictions on use post-vaccination).
If you take any of the following medications, and your rheumatologic disease is doing well, do not take this medication for 1 week after each dose of COVID-19 vaccine:
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Xeljanz (tofacitinib) |
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Rinvoq (upadacitinib) |
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Olumiant (baricitinib) |
If you take methotrexate, and your rheumatologic disease is doing well:
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Do not take methotrexate and Cellcept (mycophenolate) for 1 week after each of the mRNA vaccine doses (Pfizer, Moderna) Do not take methotrexate for 2 weeks after single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) |
If you take the following medications, contact ARA when you are nearing the time of your COVID-19 vaccination to plan scheduling the doses:
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Orencia (abatacept) |
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Rituxan (rituximab) |
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Cyclophosphamide intravenous only (Cytoxan) |
If you take the following medications, you do not have to change your medication dosing schedule around the time of COVID-19 vaccination:
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Actemra |
Guselkumab (Tremfya) |
Sarilumab (Kevzara) |
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Adalimumab (Humira) |
Humira |
Secukinumab (Cosentyx) |
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Anakinra (Kineret) |
hydrocortisone |
Simponi |
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Apremilast (Otezla) |
Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) |
Simponi Aria |
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Arava (leflunomide) |
Ilaris |
Skyrizi |
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Azathioprine (Imuran) |
Imuran |
Stelara |
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Belimumab (Benlysta) |
Infliximab (Remicade, Inflectra, Renflexis) |
Sulfasalazine |
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Benlysta |
Ixekizumab (Taltz) |
Tacrolimus |
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Canakinumab (Ilaris) |
Kevzara |
Taltz |
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Certolizumab (Cimzia) |
Kineret |
Tocilizumab (Actemra) |
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Cimzia |
Leflunomide |
Tremfya |
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Cosentyx |
Lupkynis |
Ustekinumab (Stelara) |
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Cyclophosphamide oral only (Cytoxan) |
Otezla |
Voclosporin (Lupkynis) |
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cyclosporine |
Prednisone |
Zoledronic acid (Reclast) |
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Cytoxan (oral only) |
Prolia |
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Denosumab (Prolia) |
Reclast |
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Enbrel |
Remicade |
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Etanercept (Enbrel) |
Rizankizumab (Skyrizi) |
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Evenity |
Romosozumab (Evenity) |
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Reference link: American College of Rheumatology COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Guidance Summary for Patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases.