Juggling COVID Vax, MS Therapies Proves Challenging

The issue: some multiple sclerosis drugs may attenuate antibody responses to vaccination

by Judy George, Senior Staff Writer, MedPage Today March 1, 2021

Most vaccines, including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, generally are safe for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a prominent researcher in the field.

However, some MS disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) may affect COVID vaccine responses, which “may be influenced by the timing of the vaccine relative to treatment,” said Amit Bar-Or, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, at ACTRIMS Forum 2021, the annual meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

Most vaccines, including the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, generally are safe for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a prominent researcher in the field.

However, some MS disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) may affect COVID vaccine responses, which “may be influenced by the timing of the vaccine relative to treatment,” said Amit Bar-Or, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, at ACTRIMS Forum 2021, the annual meeting of the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis.

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