A practical guide to vaccinating the inflammatory bowel disease patient

Abstract

The increasing use of corticosteroids, immune modulators, and biologics as a mainstay of therapy in certain Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis patients have placed these inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients at increased risk for a variety of infections, many of which are preventable by prior vaccination. This article provides a review of the issues surrounding immunizations in the IBD patient and a practical guide for clinicians regarding the appropriate vaccinations to administer both before and during immunosuppressive therapy.