Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Diseases that include inflammatory arthritis as a significant clinical component (AiArthritis Diseases) are full-body conditions affecting joints, tissues, and organs. Given these diseases are unique per individual, finding the right treatment can take months or years.

Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Diseases that include inflammatory arthritis as a significant clinical component (AiArthritis Diseases) are full-body conditions affecting joints, tissues, and organs. Given these diseases are unique per individual, finding the right treatment can take months or years.

Most patients are prescribed disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), including biologics, to manage their condition, but there’s no one-size-fits-all therapy, and responses vary per individual. The right therapy can be life-changing; disrupting continuity of care is strongly discouraged, as it can result in compromised quality of life, loss of employment, and comorbid diseases.  But to accommodate hospital inventory needs due to high COVID hospitalization rates, mostly attributed to those not vaccinated , chronically ill rheumatology patients worldwide are being forced off their treatments…and they are angry.

Erin (USA), diagnosed age 14 with juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis, says, “Throughout the pandemic the public was asked to protect the at-risk population by washing their hands, socially distancing, wearing a mask, and getting vaccinated. Now the ‘at-risk’ people must protect some who didn’t do their part?” 

Bottom line: This situation was, and still can be, preventable. If more people choose vaccination, hospitalization rates would decrease, and rheumatology patients may not be forced to sacrifice the treatments that work best for them. 

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