Guidance for people with a weakened immune system Coronavirus COVID-19: advice for people who were on the Highest Risk List

The MHRA is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK, ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. It gives permission and sets strict safety criteria for all clinical trials in the UK. As part of this process, it has introduced a Yellow Card scheme to encourage people to report any suspected side-effects from medicines.

• It is usual to have regular blood tests while on 5-ASA treatment, especially when you first start taking the drug, to check for any unwanted side effects.
• With some drugs just taking them at a different time of day can make a difference, for example, taking steroids before 11am can help reduce side effects because this follows the natural rhythm of steroids in the body.
• This time interval may be shortened to 8 weeks in periods with a high number of cases or where there was a concern about the effectiveness of vaccines, caused for example, by a new variant.
• You should have been given a number to call at the hospital if you have any signs of an infection.
• Research is continuing in these areas, and on the comparative effectiveness of the newer biologics.

A high dose of inhaled steroids can sometimes cause more serious side effects but this is rare. Corticosteroids are powerful medications that can sometimes have side effects. There’s generally no reason why someone shouldn’t be able to use a steroid inhaler or steroid spray. However, these should be used with caution in people with ongoing infections, like tuberculosis (TB).

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However, prolonged treatment at high doses can cause problems in some people. All new medicines have to go through rigorous safety tests in clinical trials – including vaccines. This includes 3 stages of clinical trials where people who take the vaccine are very closely monitored. Researchers constantly check the safety and side effects through these trials.

Anyone due to receive their vaccine should continue with their appointment and discuss any questions, serious allergies or any other medical conditions with the healthcare professional before having the vaccine. It is important to have both doses (the three primary doses if you are recommended) of the vaccine and the booster jab(s) (when eligible) to give you the best protection. We don’t yet know the effect that taking a low-dose steroid for a long time could have on your body’s ability to fight infections.

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They also advise waiting two weeks after completing a course of steroids to treat a relapse, before being vaccinated. Across the UK, globalsportone children aged 5 and over can get the COVID-19 vaccine. Some people with MS will be offered a spring 2023 COVID vaccine booster.

What are the possible side effects with long-term use of steroids?

Cortisol is an important regulator of various processes in our body. While steroid injections appear to be helping patients with covid-19 later in the disease process, it is currently believed that they are not helpful, and potentially harmful if used early in the disease course of covid-19. Some vaccines work by giving you a very small dose of a particular disease, so that you then become immune to it.

The health of your heart will be monitored at your yearly check-ups. If your medical team thinks you are at risk, they can refer you to a heart specialist. Roughly one third of transplant patients have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) in the years after their transplant. It can leave you feeling tired, achy and depressed but is easily treated with daily hormone tablets.

More severe symptoms, which usually occur late in the disease, may include:

Your MS team or GP should explain the benefits and potential side effects of taking steroids so that you can decide together on the best course of action in your particular situation. Should I use steroid injections to treat shoulder pain during the COVID-19 pandemic?. The immuno-suppressant effect to believed to last up to several weeks after the injection although this is believed to vary from person to person (Hackett et al 2020).

Corticosteroids can weaken your immune system and make you more vulnerable to infection. This means you should avoid any live vaccine until at least 3 months after your course of corticosteroids has finished. If you need to take medication for diabetes with corticosteroids, your blood glucose levels will usually need to be checked more regularly.

If you have to take prednisolone for a long time, there are steps you can take to stay as healthy as possible. Steroids mimic the effects of stress hormones your body naturally produces in your adrenal glands. Steroids do not tend to cause significant side effects if they’re taken for a short time or at a low dose. Most steroids are only available on prescription, but a few (such as some creams or nasal sprays) can be bought from pharmacies and shops.

Topical treatment

Don’t forget to bring your photo ID when attending for your vaccination. All vaccines available in Northern Ireland have completed a full programme of research, including considerations of vaccine efficacy and safety. The safety and effectiveness of all vaccines in use are continually monitored.

Steroid injections

Radiotherapy to the lung can damage the hairs and mucus producing cells that help to remove bacteria. The immune system protects the body against illness and infection that bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites can cause. It is a collection of reactions and responses that the body makes to damaged cells or infection.