HPV

Thiomersal?

Q: Will amantadine (an antiviral medication used to treat fatigue in MS) protect me against influenza?

A: At present, vaccination is the mainstay of influenza prevention. That is why we recommend annual influenza vaccination for all MSers, their relatives and their carers. We do not recommend amantadine for the prevention of flu. Although some other antiviral drugs may be effective in preventing flu, evidence for amantadine is much more limited (many types of influenza are now resistant to this drug).

Q: Is there any link between HPV vaccination and MS? Do you still recommend it? For whom?

A: Although there are very few reports suggesting a link between HPV and the onset of MS, we don’t have evidence at a population level. On the contrary, a huge Scandinavian study of almost 4 million people has confirmed that HPV vaccination is not associated with an increase risk of MS or any other demyelinating conditions. Younger MSers would benefit the most, especially if they receive the vaccine before they get the natural HPV infection (HPV vaccination is offered in the UK to all girls and boys aged 12-13 years when they are in school year 8). We would also particularly consider HPV vaccination in MSers who are about to start treatment with fingolimod, because it may potentially affect the ability of your immune system to find and attack cancer cells.

If an individual is acutely unwell, immunisation should be postponed until they have fully recovered. This is to avoid confusing the differential diagnosis of any acute illness by wrongly attributing any signs or symptoms to the adverse effects of the vaccine.