In the latest issue of gastroMAG No 2 Feb 26, we spoke with Prof. Thomas Greuter about the new ECCO Guidelines on opportunistic infections in IBD.
His key message: “Dynamic infection risks require personalised strategies.”
Modern IBD therapies differ substantially in their associated infection risks. At the same time, patient-specific factors such as age, comorbidities and combination therapies are playing an increasingly important role in clinical decision-making.
The consequence: infection prevention is becoming more personalised. Risk-adapted screening, targeted vaccination strategies and a more nuanced assessment of immunosuppression are gaining importance.
Key takeaways:
- Moving beyond a predominantly anti-TNF-centred approach towards a differentiated assessment of all modern IBD therapies
- Recombinant herpes zoster vaccination is recommended for all adult patients with IBD before or during immunosuppressive treatment
- Updated pneumococcal vaccination recommendations and the newly recommended RSV vaccination for adults aged 60 years and older
- Timing matters: whenever possible, vaccinations should be administered before the initiation of immunosuppressive therapy