It is now again the time to get vaccinated against the flu – hence this post as a reminder: The flu vaccination is neither dangerous for MS patients nor does it trigger flare-ups. On the contrary, the vaccination protects against a serious infectious disease that can lead to complications in MS patients and in the worst case can even be fatal. There is absolutely no sensible argument against this well-tolerated and efficient vaccination.
My appeal is not only directed at those affected by MS, but also at relatives and family members. Especially if you live with someone who has MS and they may even take medication that affects the immune system, it is all the more effective protection against infection if the environment is also vaccinated. I would even go further and suggest that medical personnel who care for MS patients should be aware of their responsibility and therefore regularly refresh their vaccination protection against influenza.
I am aware that these clear words will provoke counterarguments. Someone surely has a story ready to prove how problematic the flu vaccine is and what fatal consequences are to be feared. However, such statements are not sustainable according to the current state of scientific knowledge. The topic of vaccination is still very emotionally charged. Ultimately, I have no problem with someone rejecting a vaccination – that’s a free choice – but refusing a vaccination is not a free pass to spread negative information about it in public.
Generally, I have found that my patients are rather open-minded about the flu vaccination and usually even take the initiative themselves. In this context, questions often arise that primarily relate to the intake of certain MS medications. For example, in the last blog on this topic, it was asked how it behaves with a flu vaccination under ocrelizumab.
The problem here is not that the vaccination is dangerous when taking immunomodulatory drugs against MS, but the fear that sufficient vaccination protection will not be built up. Accordingly, the recommendation between flu vaccination and treatment with active ingredients such as ocrelizumab, alemtuzumab or cladribin is to maintain the greatest possible distance from the vaccination (or to vaccinate before starting with the active ingredients).
However, you cannot always choose this, because the flu vaccination should be given between October and early December so that vaccination protection exists at the right time. Patients who, for example like a patient of mine recently, started with cladribin in September and still want to have flu protection, therefore need special advice. In such cases, vaccination experts recommend repeating the flu vaccination at intervals of a few weeks to build up adequate vaccination protection.
As for the other MS medications besides the cell-depleting therapies already mentioned above, data exists that a flu vaccination leads to the desired success in a high percentage of patients undergoing therapy. So, in summary, there are no obstacles for patients undergoing drug therapy in relation to the flu vaccination. And as mentioned above, the better the vaccination protection in the general population, the lower the risk for the individual, especially if he is treated with immunotherapies.
