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Background:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are at increased risk of severe infections due to the disease itself, and the immunosuppressive treatment. Vaccination programs are designed to decrease the risk of infections.Objectives:In patients with RA treated with biologic therapy (BT) our aim was to assess a) the incidence of severe respiratory infections and b) to compare the risk between vaccinated and non vaccinated patients.Methods:Observational study of 431 patients diagnosed with RA that iniciated BT. One group of patients participated in a vaccination program from October 2011 to October 2016 (Group 1). The other group was not included in the vaccination program (Group 2). The follow-up was made until June 2017 with a minimum follow-up period of 8 months and a maximum of 5.5 years.Information on severe respiratory infections, defined as those that required hospitalization or at least one dose of intravenous antibiotic treatment at the emergency room, was retrieved from the hospital medical records.Results:We studied 431 patients (335 women/96 men); mean age 63.4±13.7 years. In the vaccination program (group 1) were included 299 (69.37%) patients and in the group 2 132 patients (30.63%). The main features of both groups are summarized in Table 1.During the follow-up, we registered 299 hospital admissions due to severe respiratory infections in both groups (incidence density 9.9 (95% CI: 6.9-13.6).In group 1, vaccinated patients, this incidence density was reduced to 7.1 (95% CI: 4.1-11.6). Figure 1.The vaccination program reduced the general incidence of severe respiratory infection in 44%.Conclusion:RA patients with BT included in the vaccination program present a lower incidence of severe respiratory infections compared with non vaccinated patients.Table 1.Main general features at BT onsetGroup 1Vaccination programN=299Group 2Non vaccination programN=132pAge (years) mean±SD61.32±13.0467.97±14.170.32Women, n (%)231 (77.3%)105 (79.5%)0.59Duration of RA (months) mean±SD73.24±10.4112.62±60.2Positive RF/ Positive ACPA, n (%)177(59.2)/172 (57.52%)93(70.5%)98 (74.24%)0.02/0,01Erosive disease, n (%)116 (38.8%)70 (53%)0.06Vasculitis, n (%)15 (5%)2 (1.5%)0.08Interstitial lung disease n (%)12 (4%)7 (5.3%)0.54Subcutaneous nodules n (%)16 (5.4%)6 (4.5%)0.72Corticosteroids299 (100%)132 (100%)1Number of conventional DMARDs, mean±SD1.66±0.892.03±1.050.3Figure 1.Disclosure of Interests:None declared

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