For most people with MS, getting a flu shot is a smart decision.Everyday Health
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, getting vaccinated against the flu has arguably never been more important — but is the shot safe for people undergoing treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS)?
In general, the answer to that question is “yes,” but there are some considerations for people with the condition, according to Amit Bar-Or, MD, chief of the multiple sclerosis division at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and president of the International Society for Neuroimmunology.
“There’s no reason to consider the flu shot as riskier for people with MS,” he says. “Just having MS does not increase risk for adverse outcomes with the vaccine.”
In fact, in guidelines published in September 2019 in the journal Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) recommends that people with MS get vaccinated against the flu annually, unless there’s a specific reason they can’t get it, such as an allergy to the vaccine. However, certain types of flu vaccine — there are more than a dozen formulated each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — aren’t recommended for people on specific MS treatments, according to the National MS Society. This is because the vaccines may not be as effective at preventing the flu in people taking these drugs, the society says.
Still, because there are many different flu vaccines available, you can find one that offers protection against the seasonal virus, Dr. Bar-Or notes.
Here’s an overview of the types of flu vaccines and which ones may be impacted by your MS treatment.