Vaccinations and Autoimmune Diseases

Abstract

Vaccine administration is a very effective tool to prevent infectious diseases, but its powerful stimulus on the immune system has generated the fear of exacerbating previously diagnosed autoimmune diseases. Such a fear is also a consequence of the generally anecdotal observation of post-vaccine autoimmune reactions in few previously healthy susceptible individuals. However, patients with autoimmune diseases have an approximately double risk than the general population of developing infections. Thus, the matter has been analyzed from a double point of view, the possible induction of autoimmunity by vaccinations in healthy people and the vaccination safety and immunogenicity in patients with autoimmune diseases.

Keywords :

• vaccinations
• autoimmune diseases
• systemic lupus erythematosus
• rheumatoid arthritis
• multiple sclerosis
• insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
• vasculitides