Reflection statement for participants in this CME activity:

This study further supports the safety and efficacy of recombinant vaccines in general. This study also specifically supports the safety and efficacy of recombinant herpes zoster vaccine in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
This study was done to help close the knowledge gap regarding the safety and efficacy of using recombinant varicella zoster vaccine in patients with rheumatic diseases. This type of knowledge gap resulted because patients with rheumatologic disease were excluded from the phase III safety study required for FDA approval of the recombinant varicella zoster vaccine. Multiple knowledge gaps exist in the U.S. healthcare system because select subpopulations of patients are excluded from key clinical trials. Pediatric patients tend to be one of the more frequent and notable excluded groups. Other types of groups of patients can be excluded as this study shows. Such knowledge gaps can be associated with significant impact on the subpopulations excluded from key research trials.
The authors of this article saw a knowledge gap that affected their patient population with rheumatological disorders. They undertook the effort to design, get approval for their study, and to execute their study. As a result, they have successfully vaccinated their patients and likely reduced the risk of zoster related complications in their clinic population. They have also published their results to inform others and thereby improved medical practice as a result. This is a wonderful outcome and reminds us of why most of us chose to practice medicine. Hopefully, by pointing out this successful project some of us will feel somewhat uplifted during the difficult times we are experiencing due to the COVID pandemic and other stressors affecting medicine.