Vaccinations: Immunosuppressed Patients and Their Household Contacts

Feedback during the Covid Autumn booster vaccination programme suggests that some people don’t know that their medicines suppress their immune response, making them more susceptible to infection.

The Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised severely immunosuppressed individuals who have completed their primary course to get an autumn booster dose of the available COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccines are not 'live' vaccines and can be safely given to patients with reduced immune function.

Anyone aged 5 or over who is classed as at-risk and/or immunosuppressed is eligible for an autumn booster and should be offered a dose with a minimum of 3 months between the third primary and booster dose. Patients who haven’t had or completed their primary course of vaccination should also be advised to do so.

Household contacts of immunosuppressed patients are also eligible for an autumn covid booster and flu vaccine. This should be discussed with immunosuppressed patients.

Some patients may not understand that their medicines are immunosuppressants. Important messaging to provide to patients collecting immunosuppressed medicines includes:

• This medicine reduces your protection against infection and means you are eligible for an autumn Covid-19 booster and a flu vaccination
• Vaccinations are important to protect you from serious illness so make sure you have them when invited
• People who live with you can help protect you by getting COVID-19 and flu vaccinations as well

Please discuss getting vaccinated with patients on immunosuppressants including:

• Azathioprine
• Cyclophosphamide
• Cyclosporine
• Methotrexate
• Mycophenolate mofetil
• Sulfasalazine
• Tacrolimus
• Patients prescribed systemic steroids for more than a month at a dose equivalent to prednisolone at 20mg or more per day