Vaccinations

Vaccines are one of the best ways to protect yourself from contagious and dangerous infections. However, you and many other MSers might be more concerned about the safety of vaccines than the diseases they are designed to prevent. Such concerns are not new. Already in the 1970s, some case reports of onset or recurrence of demyelinating illnesses after vaccination raised concerns that vaccines may cause or exacerbate MS. MSers’ and clinicians’ fears were further heightened by some reports of MS developing following the hepatitis B vaccine. However, in the past two decades, multiple studies have demonstrated that the link between MS and vaccines is more coincidental than causal, which has been a great relief for everybody. Based on these studies, one can affirm with more confidence that several vaccines including those for hepatitis B, human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, BCG tuberculosis (which stands for bacillus Calmette–Guérin), typhoid, tick-borne encephalitis or MMR (which protects against 3 serious illnesses: measles, mumps and rubella) do not increase the risk of developing MS. In a similar way, a number of other vaccines including hepatitis B, tetanus, tick borne encephalitis or influenza do not seem to increase the risk of relapses. The one exception, despite relatively little evidence, may be the vaccine against yellow fever. We say little simply because it came from a study including only 7 MSers and more research is needed before drawing a definite conclusion that could contribute to damaging controversies in vaccine safety.

Why should you care about getting vaccinated?

The world is facing the challenge of both new infectious diseases and re-emerging ones, and vaccines have everything to do with fighting against them now and down the line. The proof is in the pudding: extraordinary cooperation and accommodations have been made globally in the race to build a COVID-19 vaccine from scratch whilst the pandemic is hitting us all so hard. Unfortunately, vaccination is declining in many countries and, as a result, we have started to seen outbreaks of vaccine-preventable infections in places where they had been considered eliminated. The UK is not immune to this phenomenon, where vaccination coverage for some vaccines is declining not only among the general population but also remains low in especially vulnerable people such as those with neurological conditions.

There are some reasons why people are not getting vaccinated:

1. Parental or patient reluctance to vaccinate (‘vaccine hesitancy’).

2. Difficulty in accessing immunisation services.

3. Failure of health care professionals to correctly offer and promote appropriate vaccination.

And…there are many reasons why people (especially MSers) should get vaccinated:

1. Vaccination is a lifelong process, not only for children. Adults are also at risk of acquiring vaccine-preventable infections and some vaccines are actually only recommended for adults.

2. Unvaccinated people are at risk and create a risk of infection to the whole community.

3. When you protect yourself with vaccines, you are also protecting your friends, family, and other vulnerable individuals who cannot receive some vaccines (when the vast majority of people in a community become immune to an infectious disease it will eventually stop the disease from spreading).

4. People exposed to immunosuppressive therapies (including many medications to treat MS) and those with worse disability are not only more susceptible to catching some vaccine-preventable infections but also more likely to experience more severe symptoms.

5. Infections can trigger a relapse in MSers, which may lead to residual symptoms and sustained disability.

6. Vaccinations are safe and effective for the vast majority of MSers.

In the following sections, we will provide you with all the information you need to proactively educate yourself about the benefits and safety of vaccines applicable to adults with MS. This knowledge would make it easier for you to pursue opportunities to receive vaccines that you may be eligible for.