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Improving Shingles Vaccine Uptake in Immunosuppressed Patients Across Primary Care

Wan-Yi SHEN

Patients receiving biological therapies or JAK inhibitors for rheumatological conditions have an increased risk of herpes zoster. UK guidance (September 2023) recommended shingles vaccination for severely immunosuppressed adults aged ≥50. National uptake between September 2024 and February 2025 remained low, with 21.5% receiving one dose and 13.1% completing both doses.This audit aimed to evaluate local compliance with shingles vaccination among immunosuppressed patients aged ≥50 on biologics or JAK inhibitors and compare uptake with national data, identifying gaps and targeting quality improvement initiatives.Single rheumatology centre review of hospital and primary care electronic records was conducted for patients aged 51-69 years who had been prescribed biological therapies or JAK inhibitors for at least the previous 6 months.  Patients were excluded if age ≥70y or if primary care vaccination records were not available.70 patients were included. Diagnoses were RA (n=30), axial SPA(n=29), psoriatic arthritis (n=10), and undifferentiated inflammatory arthritis (n=1). Treatments were adalimumab (n=25), etanercept (n=11), baricitinib (n=7), tocilizumab (n=5) upadacitinib (n=4), certolizumab (n=3), secukinumab (n=3), infliximab (n=3), golimumab (n=2), ixekizumab (n=2), rituximab (n=2), abatacept (n=1), bimekizumab (n=1) and guselkumab (n=1). 34/70 (48%) patients received at least one vaccine.  24/70 (34%) patients had written documentation of advice to have the vaccine in a clinic letter, of whom 19/24 (79%) received a vaccine.  46/70 (65%) patients had no advice documented in clinic, of whom 16/46 (34%) received a vaccine.  One patient was told by her GP practice that she was not eligible for vaccination despite a rheumatology clinic letter recommending vaccination.Shingles vaccination uptake in this cohort of rheumatology patients aged 51–69 receiving biologics or JAK inhibitors was nearly 50%. Although suboptimal, this exceeds the national average for severely immunosuppressed patients (21% for one dose). Documented clinic-to-GP recommendations were strongly associated with higher uptake (79% vs 34%). Higher rates locally may reflect routine vaccination counselling within clinics.Further work is needed to understand barriers to vaccination and to enhance uptake, particularly in light of the expanded eligibility criteria. Targeted education for patients, primary care, and secondary care teams is likely to support sustained improvement.