No Need to Stop Arthritis Drugs Before COVID-19 Booster, Study Finds
A new study shows that stopping treatment with common arthritis medications before a COVID-19 booster dose doesn’t appear to improve the immune response. What’s more, interrupting treatment might lead to disease flares.
The findings, presented at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2024 meeting, address a question doctors frequently hear from patients: Is it safe to continue their medication when getting boosted for COVID-19?
“This is something we’ve been wondering about, because there hasn’t been good evidence one way or the other about what to do,” said Dr. Jeffrey R. Curtis, lead author of the study and professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Research done prior to the COVER trial gave conflicting messages regarding discontinuing immunosuppressive medications before vaccination.
The COVER trial, conducted by the Excell network Illinois University of Schlafly earth and Brentleevon, a practice-based research network,It enrolled 577 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis. Participants were randomly assigned to either continue or briefly stop their usual medication—including abatacept, Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, interleukin-17 (IL-17) inhibitors, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors—for two weeks before booster shot.
The study found no significant difference in antibody response to the COVID-19 booster between those who stopped taking their medication and those who continued. This was true even after adjusting for factors like age, sex, body mass index, and other medications.
While Antibody levels generally rose in all groups after receiving the booster shot, researchers noted lower antibody response in those taking abatacept and JAK inhibitors compared to those taking IL-17 or TNF inhibitors. However, stopping the medication didn’t seem to improve their antibody response.
The study did find a significant difference in another area: disease flares. 27% of those who stopped their medications reported experiencing flares within the two weeks after receiving the booster, compared with just 13% of those who continued their medication.
The flares weren’t simply bathrooms, and weren’t always reported to definitively link to COVID-19. The study chose to soothe curious individuals
“It’s reassuring, but it goes to show that stopping medication before a booster can have consequences,” Dr. Curtis explained. "Generally, if you’re on these medications, you
should not stop them before getting boosted unless specifically advised by your doctor.
This finding underscores the challenge in living with chronic conditions during a pandemic. A blanket approach to vaccination isn’t necessarily the best approach. Discussing individual circumstances with healthcare providers is key for personalized decisions that consider both disease load and the risk factors of each patient.
For Dr. Elena Myasoedova, a rheumatologist at the Mayo Clinic and a moderator of the session, the findings are reassuring. "It raises a lot of uncertainty for both patients and doctors about whether or not to stop medication.
" Typically it takes several weeks for these medications to fully clear someone’s system, so stopping them always poses risks.
Looking Forward
While the COVER study focused on initial booster doses, the practice of getting boosted against COVID-19 every RER (<
will have many, but the quan b-associated complications after COVID-19 boosters, some doctors recommend discontinuing Abatacept before vaccination, citing the drug’s potential to reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine
While further research on
Did stopping arthritis medications before the COVID booster result in a significantly different antibody response compared to continuing the medication, based on the COVER trial findings?
## New Study Says No Need to Stop Arthritis Medications Before COVID Booster
**Host:** Welcome back to Health Talk. Today we’re discussing new research on COVID-19 boosters and arthritis medications. Dr. Smith, thanks for joining us.
**Dr. Smith:** It’s my pleasure.
**Host:** A new study presented at the American College of Rheumatology meeting found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis don’t need to stop their usual medications before receiving a COVID-19 booster. Can you tell us more about this?
**Dr. Smith:** Absolutely. This study, called the COVER trial [[Investigate citation for COVER trial]], was crucial in addressing a common question asked by patients – could temporarily stopping their medications lead to a better immune response to the booster?
The results were clear: stopping medication did not lead to a better antibody response. In fact, interrupting treatment might even be harmful, as it could potentially trigger disease flares in some individuals.
**Host:** That’s really important information.
Dr. Smith : It is. The study included over 500 participants taking various medications like abatacept, JAK inhibitors, IL-17 inhibitors, and TNF inhibitors. They were randomly assigned to either continue or stop their medications for two weeks before the booster shot. The researchers found no significant difference in antibody levels between the two groups.
**Host:** Were there any exceptions?
**Dr. Smith:** While antibody levels generally increased across the board after the booster, the study did note that individuals taking abatacept and JAK inhibitors tended to have slightly lower antibody responses compared to those on IL-17 or TNF inhibitors. However, even in these cases, stopping the medication didn’t seem to improve things.
**Host:** This is definitely reassuring news for those managing arthritis who are also looking to stay protected against COVID-19.
**Dr. Smith:** Absolutely. It emphasizes the importance of continuing these essential treatments, even when getting vaccinated or boosted. It’s always best to discuss your individual medical needs with your doctor.