It’s cold and flu season — are your patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) properly informed about increased risk of infections?
It is especially important for patients with IBD to receive the flu vaccine every year. With IBD, you can only get the shot (and not the spray in the nose).
The AGA GI Patient Center provides additional recommendations about vaccines in adults with IBD. Talk to your patients with IBD about what vaccines are needed for their treatment regimen, age and sex.
- Review vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases the patient had when first diagnosed with IBD, no matter the age and continue discussing vaccines during regular health care visits.
- Give patients vaccine(s) for infections they are not immune as soon as possible.
- Make sure patients are up-to-date or receive any live vaccines prior to starting some immunosuppressive treatments, such as biologics.
