Vaccination practice in children with rheumatic disease.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluate clinical practice through assessment of vaccination card and recommendation of specific vaccines in pediatric patients with rheumatic diseases in use of different drugs and reveal the possible association between vaccination frequency and time of the clinical practice of pediatric rheumatologists in the state of São Paulo.


METHODS
A questionnaire was sent to pediatric rheumatologists of the Departamento de Reumatologia da Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo. This instrument included questions about practice time on Pediatric Rheumatology, vaccination of patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), and immunization according to the treatments used.


RESULTS
Vaccination card was seen by 100% of the professionals at the first visit and by 36% annually. Vaccines of live agents were not recommended for patients with JSLE, JIA, and JDM in 44%, 64%, and 48%, respectively. The professionals were divided into two groups: Group A (≤ 15 years of practice, n = 12) and B (≥ 16 years, n = 13). No statistical difference was observed in the use of live agent vaccine and vaccines with inactivated agents or protein components in the two treatment groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, the groups had similar opinion regarding severity of immunosuppression in patients with JSLE, JIA, and JDM (with or without activity) and treatment used (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The frequency of immunization by pediatric rheumatologists in São Paulo is low, especially after the first visit, and not influenced by time of professional practice.
Children's Institute and Department of Rheumatology of Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. clovis.silva@icr.usp.br
Clovis Artur A
CA
Silva
Maria Teresa R A
MT
Terreri
Nadia E
NE
Aikawa
Jozélio F
JF
Carvalho
Gecilmara C S
GC
Pileggi
Virginia P L
VP
Ferriani
Cássia Maria P L
CM
Barbosa
Maria Odete E
MO
Hilário
Adriana A
AA
Jesus
Adriana M E
AM
Sallum
Ana Paola N
AP
Lotito
Bernadete L
BL
Liphaus
Claudia S
CS
Magalhães
Cláudio A
CA
Len
Eunice M
EM
Okuda
Lucia Maria M
LM
Campos
Luciana M
LM
Carvalho
Marcos Vinícius
MV
Ronchezel
Maria Carolina
MC
dos Santos
Paulo Roberto S
PR
Romanelli
Roberto
R
Marini
Rosa Maria R
RM
Pereira
Silvana B
SB
Sacchetti
Simone
S
Lotufo
Wanda A
WA
Bastos
D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases; D012219:Rheumatology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*