Newly diagnosed with PMR- concerns about vaccine reactions?

Reporting back; I just saw my rheumatologist and she said to get the vaccines. I’m switching to Kevzara but she said the vaccines won’t interfere with anything . I’m just going to do what she says

I spent almost three years tapering prednisone for PMR. During that period I received flu and Covid vaccines every fall season. I never noticed a PMR issue after vaccinations.

@kayept
I, too, have kept up pretty well with Covid shots and have not, to my knowledge, had the disease. I am 78 years old and diagnosed with PMR in August of 2025. My daughter has chosen not to get vaccinated. She of course is 3 decades younger than me. She, as well, does not think she ever had Covid.
I am of the thought that perhaps there are some people who are immune to getting it no matter what road they choose. Wish we knew more about these diseases.

So if we’re on prednisone & methotrexate which Covid/flu vaccine is out there as immunocompromised people. I can portal my rheumatologist but it will take him 3 days to respond! I thought I saw a stronger newer vaccine for older adults but that seems to be for healthy people??

@kare1
I'd message your rheumatologist and wait the 3 days.

@kare1 a "stronger newer vaccine:" refers I believe to a stronger adjuvant in the flu vaccine ( not the covid vaccine) which kind of wakes up the immune system and kicks it into higher gear to recognized the vaccine and stimulate a strong immune response. It is is not a different flu component . Older peoples' immune responses tend to be weaker.

@judithgrossman ahh so it’s the flu vaccine then. Curious if this more robust one is safer for immunocompromised people. I’ll have to ask my Drs to be on the safe side. Too much confusion out in the internet world!

@kjoed53 The flu vaccine for senior adults contains an adjuvant which is designed to boost the immune system. With the blessings of my pharmacist, I always get the regular flu vaccine, which does not contain the adjuvant. I do not believe that any of the Covid vaccines contain the same thing, but last year my pharmacist told me that the Moderna was a bit stronger and caused more reactions than the Pfizer. The formulations are different this year, so again your pharmacist is your best friend. Your doctor can tell you what his or her experience has been with patients and reactions To the vaccine, but physicians are not the best people always to talk to about what’s in the vaccine and what side effects it can cause. Last year, a good friend with another auto immune disorder almost died when she had a vaccine, and her doctor refused to believe that the vaccine was in any way responsible because there had not been a clinical trial in which immunocompromise people were were deliberately injected with the vaccine to see what happens and compared to immunocompromise people without the vaccine. That sort of study is not appropriate in all cases, but doctors understand only the very, very basics about public health.

@cccdcjdm I recommend talking to your pharmacist as well as your doctor. Doctors get a lot of messages telling them that all patients should get the flu and the Covid vaccines, particularly if you were seeing a general practitioner instead of a rheumatologist.

I think it's worth discussing with both your doctor and pharmacist. Not every doctor is out of the know and not every pharmacist is in the know. If you get consensus, then you're golden, but give each an opportunity to voice their opinion and their reasoning. The flu vaccine is redesigned each year to mitigate the anticipated strains for the current year.