Get help Covid-19 (coronavirus) Covid-19 (coronavirus) Information on Covid-19 - Vaccination, Priority Lists, and Timing of Vaccination Do I need a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccination if I have arthritis? What is high risk and very high risk for people living with arthritis during Covid-19? How should people with arthritis get vaccinated for Covid-19? What is the recommended optimal timing of administration of Covid-19 vaccination? Should people with arthritis attend hospital for scheduled appointments? What are the symptoms of Covid-19 (Coronavirus)? How do I protect myself from Covid-19 (Coronavirus)? Do I need a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccination if I have arthritis? It is important that you are vaccinated against Covid-19 if you have a weak immune system, either immunosuppressed or immunocompromised. Having a weak immune system puts you at higher risk of serious illness if you get Covid-19. Getting vaccinated will give you some protection against this. As well as all people over 60 from the beginning of November, hospitals will identify the people who need an additional dose due to being immunocompromised. You do not need to register or contact anyone. People who need an additional dose will receive a text message with an appointment for their vaccine. These additional doses may be given through HSE vaccination centre near you, or your hospital if you're an inpatient. GPs may also vaccinate some people. You will need an appointment for your additional dose. You cannot get an additional dose at a walk-in vaccination clinic. Back to top What is high risk and very high risk for people living with arthritis during Covid-19? Having a weak immune system may put you at a higher risk of serious illness from Covid-19 (coronavirus), but being on immunosuppressive treatments is not known to increase your risk of getting Covid-19. Many things can cause a weak immune system or someone to immunosuppressed. These include some treatments for autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS) and inflammatory bowel diseases. Do not stop or change your medication unless your doctor advises you to. If you stop your medicine without your doctor's advice, you may be more likely to have a flare-up of your condition during this period. Examples of immunosuppressive medicines are: steroids biologic agents methotrexate azathioprine There is not enough information available yet to be sure how Covid-19 affects people on medicines such as: rituximab cyclophosphamide alemtuzumab cladribine ocrelizumab If you take one of these medicines, you are at very high risk of getting very ill if you get Covid-19. You should take extra care to protect yourself from the virus. Most people at very high risk from Covid-19 (coronavirus) will be protected against the virus once they have been fully vaccinated. Back to top How should people with arthritis get vaccinated for Covid-19? If you have been vaccinated, you can begin to return to doing some of the things you used to do. This is called a 'vaccine bonus'. Read more about vaccine bonuses, what you can do and when they begin Covid-19 Vaccine Registration Registration is now open for anyone aged 12 and older via this site - register to get a free Covid-19 vaccine Parents/Guardians must register 12 to 15 year olds, while anyone aged 16 or over can register themselves. If you do not have your mobile phone number, email address, PPS Number and Eircode to hand, you can also register by phone using the HSE registration number below - Open: 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday. The best time to call is between 1pm and 6pm. You will get through to an operator quicker. Freephone: 1800 700 700 Phone: 01 240 8787 Back to top What is the recommended optimal timing of administration of Covid-19 vaccination? During the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine it has been important not to delay vaccination for those living with arthritis. Therefore, the advice has been to postpone methotrexate after vaccination. It is advised to skip the scheduled dose of methotrexate due immediately after vaccination. There is no evidence that there is a benefit from stopping most other treatments. As always, it is advisable to consult with doctors/rheumatologists on specific, individual circumstances. (a) Patients on methotrexate Several studies have addressed the optimal timing of influenza vaccination in rheumatology patients on low dose methotrexate and of influenza and pneumococcal vaccination in rheumatology and oncology patients on rituximab. Patients on methotrexate who held their medication for two weeks after administration of influenza vaccination had a four fold increase in neutralizing antibody titres without a significant increased risk of disease flare compared to those who did not interrupt their methotrexate dosing. Longer periods of treatment interruption up to 4 weeks showed no increased benefit. It is not known if this translates into reduced influenza infection rates though the supposition that it does is logical based on what we know about vaccines and how they work. Therefore depending on your individual circumstances it may be recommended that where possible, if you are on methotrexate, you should ideally schedule Covid-19 vaccination at the end of a treatment cycle and hold treatment for a maximum of two weeks if you and the treating clinician agree on this strategy.There is no evidence that this strategy is of benefit with other DMARDs. (b) Patients on corticosteroids It is not possible to discontinue steroid treatment for the purposes of Covid-19 vaccination - minimization of steroid dose under supervision of your doctor where possible may be of benefit to when receiving the vaccine (c) Patients on rituximab Patients on rituximab have reduced numbers of B cells and a poorer antibody generation response to vaccines. It is recommended that you should have Covid-19 vaccination ideally four weeks before receiving rituximab treatment and, if on treatment, that it be scheduled for the end of a treatment cycle (e.g. six months after last dose for optimal effect). The main difficulty is predicting the timing of vaccination for this group. Back to top Should people with arthritis attend hospital for scheduled appointments? Scheduled appointments and procedures have been delayed and postponed due to Covid-19 and the recent HSE cyber attack. Your hospital may even have cancelled some appointments, but all will be rescheduled, while many are using virtual clinics to see patients. All hospitals have developed new ways of working to continue to reduce the risk of Covid-19. When attending appointments - you should attend alone - unless accompanying a child or you require assistance you should arrive on time you should enter and exit via the appropriate doors to minimise contacts Back to top What are the symptoms of Covid-19? How do you protect yourself? Physical distancing should continue to be maintained at all times. By law, you have to wear a face covering: on public transport in shops, shopping centres and other indoor settings, including cinemas and salons in banks, posts offices and credit unions You should also wear a face covering: when staying 2 metres apart from people is difficult in healthcare settings - this includes hospitals, GP surgeries, care settings, nursing homes and dental practices when visiting anyone who is more at risk from Covid-19 (coronavirus) - such as people aged 70 or over or people who are medically vulnerable in crowded workplaces, places of worship and in busy outdoor spaces where a lot of people gather Some people should not or do not have to wear face coverings. Read about who should not wear one. If you wear a face covering, you should still follow the public health advice on protecting yourself and others. This includes social distancing and washing your hands properly and often. What are the symptoms of Covid-19? They are: a fever (high temperature - 38 degrees Celsius or above) a cough - this can be any kind of cough, not just dry shortness of breath or breathing difficulties loss or change to your sense of smell or taste flu like symptoms If you have symptoms, self-isolate and contact your GP immediately. Further information about Covid-19 is available on the Department of Health website Back to top Updated 21 October 2021