The COVID-19 pandemic has been an understandably stressful and scary time for everyone, but even more so for those who have a chronic health condition like Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) has recommendations for getting the COVID-19 vaccine when you have IBD. 

General Recommendations 

• Those with IBD should be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) at earliest opportunity 
• The currently available vaccines are safe for those with IBD (messenger RNA vaccines, replication-incompetent vector vaccines, inactivated vaccines, and recombinant vaccines) 

Medications 

• If you are on a corticosteroid when receiving the vaccine, you might have a slightly less effective antibody response 
• If you are on a biologic, you can have an effective response to the vaccine 
• You can continue taking your medication on your normal schedule while receiving the vaccine 

Disease Activity 

• You do not need to be in remission to receive the vaccine 

• Getting the vaccine has not been found to be associated with triggering an IBD flare 

Up-To-Date Info 

To check on the latest information about IBD and vaccines, the Crohn’s & Colitis UK team has put together an FAQ resource page. 

If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to your Care Team to discuss vaccination further.