A study presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2015) found that only 11% of people with rheumatoid arthritis responded to the hepatitis B vaccine and developed enough hepatitis B antibodies (titers) needed to protect them against infection.
The remaining 83% of people with arthritis failed to develop enough antibodies despite immunization with the full three vaccine doses over a six-month period.
"People with RA have an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from infections, and to discover that (hepatitis B) immunization might not confer protection is a real concern," said study author Misha Tilanus of Radboud University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. "It's crucial that patients and health care practitioners are aware of this lack of efficacy and do all they can to minimise risk."
Read moreLabels: rhematoid arthritis, vaccine response