Live Varicella Zoster Vaccine Safe, Effective with TNF Inhibitors

The study results suggest that the broad contraindication on the label for TNFi’s is unfounded, Dr. Papp says by email.

“The concern stems from occurrence of active and sometimes fatal infections developing in individuals who are profoundly immunosuppressed: marrow ablation, SCID patients, end stage leukemia or lymphoma, or patients receiving extreme doses of broad immunosuppressants or high-dose antimetabolites for the treatment of solid tumors,” Dr. Papp says.

Reference

Curtis JR, Cofield SS, Bridges SL Jr, et al. The safety and immunologic effectiveness of the live varicella zoster vaccine in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy: A randomized controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 2021 Sep 28. Online ahead of print.

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