February 2022 Monthly News Roundup
The Latest in COVID-19 News & Arthritis
Updated Guidance for Vaccination in Rheumatology Patients
As rheumatologists contend with vaccine hesitancy among certain subsets of patients, the American College of Rheumatology has released updated clinical guidelines on COVID-19 vaccination for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, including new recommendations on supplemental and booster doses. Read more .
Get the latest information and news on COVID-19 by visiting the Arthritis Foundation’s Care & Connect portal.
FDA Delays Action on Pfizer Vaccine for Kids Under 5
The FDA said it would delay a decision on authorizing the use of the Pfizer vaccine for younger children until data on the effects of three doses is available. Learn more .
FDA Considers Second COVID-19 Booster Shot
The FDA has begun reviewing data to potentially authorize a fourth dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for the fall. The authorization would depend on ongoing studies, which must show that a fourth dose would increase waning immunity and reduce the risk of severe disease. Read the story .
CDC Urges Extra Precautions for People With Certain Medical Conditions
The CDC recently updated its guidance for people with certain medical conditions and those who are immunocompromised. Get the latest suggestions from the CDC .
FDA Okays New Monoclonal Antibody Effective Against Omicron
The FDA authorized Eli Lilly's COVID-19 antibody drug for people aged 12 and older at risk of severe illness, adding a tool that has been found to work against the highly contagious Omicron variant. Learn more about the treatment .
COVID-19 Vaccines Safe, Effective in Rheumatic Diseases
The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology Coronavirus Vaccine registry has shown that vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 provides people with inflammatory or noninflammatory rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease similar levels of protection with a similar adverse event profile as the general public. Read more about the findings .
Get answers to the most common COVID-19 questions for people with arthritis.
In Other Arthritis News
CDC Releases Updated Draft Guidance on Opioid Prescribing
The CDC has released a draft update of its current Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for pain management and is asking for public comment before moving forward. Read the new draft update .
Dietary Recommendations for Inflammatory Rheumatic Diseases
Jérémie Sellam, MD, PhD, from Saint-Antoine Hospital in Paris, summarizes the key points of the first set of dietary recommendations of the French Society for Rheumatology.
Read the recommendations
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Find out how the Ultimate Arthritis Diet could help your joints feel better.
Multiple Sleep Problems May Boost Heart Disease Risk by More Than 140%
New research shows that having more than one sleep problem increased an individual’s risk of heart disease by up to 141% in a retrospective analysis. Learn more about this study .
Physical Activity Impacts Quality of Life for People With Inflammatory Arthritis
According to a lit review published recently in Arthritis Care & Research, p hysical activity may improve quality of life and self-reported function in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthritis (SpA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Read the review .
Get active without hurting your joints. Try the YES (Your Exercise Solution) tool to find movements based on your specific needs and ability level — with modifications developed and approved by physical therapists. Try YES today .
