Vaccination against COVID19 – Current Status

The topic of COVID19 vaccination and MS has already been discussed in detail – also here at this point – but there is still a huge need for information and there are still uncertainties. Therefore, I would like to answer the most common questions once again – also in addition to the online event of AMSEL in this March week.

Covid19 vaccination safe for those affected by MS

The vaccination against COVID19 is just as dangerous or harmless for those affected by MS as for any other individual. The vaccination does not lead to relapses or a deterioration of MS. This view is also confirmed by the experiences of medical colleagues in England and Israel, where many more MS patients have already been vaccinated against COVID19 than in Germany. This applies to both the vector vaccine from AstraZeneca and the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/Bionech and Moderna.
Conclusion: Especially MS patients should get vaccinated, because the real infection with COVID19 poses far more risks than the vaccination.

You don’t have a choice of vaccine. Therefore, it is pointless to discuss which vaccine is most suitable for MS patients. But it is clear that vaccination is better than no vaccination. As for efficacy, the data from the mRNA vaccines were indeed more impressive than those from the vector vaccines. However, in reality, both approaches are very effective. A Scottish study showed that 4 weeks after the first dose of the Biontech/Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, the recipient’s risk of having to go to hospital due to COVID-19 fell by up to 85%. With the AstraZeneca vaccine, the risk even fell by 94% (Public health Scotland). Under real conditions of use, there is therefore no relevant difference between the individual vaccines.
Conclusion: At the moment it does not matter which vaccine you are vaccinated with – the main thing is that you are vaccinated. At a later stage, it may be possible to assign vaccines to certain patient groups, but this question is not currently relevant.

Covid19 vaccines effective even with mutations

Panic regarding the newly occurring mutants and the effect of the vaccination is completely inappropriate. The English B.1.1.7 mutant, which is now also rampant in Germany, is indeed (according to epidemiological data) much more contagious and makes our non-drug measures (“lockdown”) less efficient. However, the effect of the COVID19 vaccines against the B.1.1.7 mutant is nevertheless given. Recently, it was shown that the AstraZeneca vaccine has a similar good effect against the B.1.1.7 mutant as against the wild type.
Conclusion: No vaccination fatalism in view of the constant media confrontation with virus mutations. The COVID19 vaccines also protect against the mutants that currently play a role in Germany.

As far as safety and side effects are concerned, the COVID19 vaccines are in the green zone. There is neither a problem with hypersensitivity reactions with the mRNA vaccines, nor is there a risk of spinal cord inflammation (transverse myelitis) with the vector vaccines, especially that from AstraZeneca. It is true that a few cases have occurred within the licensing studies. However, this is not unusual for several tens of thousands of subjects and a safety signal can definitely not be derived for the vaccines. Moreover, one must bear in mind that we can now no longer just evaluate the data from the clinical study. The vaccines have now been used millions of times – without any relevant problems.
Conclusion: All COVID19 vaccines are safe – also for MS.

Many patients with MS are treated with immunotherapies. And not a few are worried that the COVID 19 vaccination could then be dangerous. All the COVID 19 vaccines are inactivated vaccines. The viral vector of the AstraZeneca vaccine is also not capable of replication. Therefore, the administration of these vaccines, even under immunotherapy, is unproblematic. With some substances (I also refer here to the corresponding tables on the AMSEL and DMSG homepage), it may be that the vaccination does not lead to a sufficient immune response. Nevertheless, in the majority of cases, despite immunotherapy, there is a sufficient immune response. This is then not so advantageous for the individual, but also no longer plays a role when the environment is vaccinated. Furthermore, strategies will certainly be developed during the course of the year on how to improve the immune response in these individuals (e.g. 3rd vaccine dose).
Conclusion: The COVID 19 vaccination is possible and sensible under all approved MS therapies – and not dangerous. It makes no sense to concern oneself with specific timing plans for the vaccination or to fixate on a particular vaccine. Just get vaccinated when you have an appointment.

MS is an autoimmune disease. According to the federal government’s vaccination ordinance, people with autoimmune diseases should be vaccinated preferentially. This is ultimately a kind gesture by the federal government. However, it does not mean that MS per se is associated with an increased risk of contracting COVID19. Without complications and comorbidities, a person affected by MS has exactly the same risk as their peers. Nevertheless, this prioritization should be used. The family doctor or specialist can confirm the existence of a prioritization according to the vaccination ordinance with an informal certificate (without further clinical information).
Conclusion: Take advantage of the opportunity for vaccination. Already two weeks after the first vaccine dose, the risk of falling seriously ill with COVID19 decreases significantly. I also go so far as to claim that vaccinated people can no longer infect others. Corona tests or quarantine measures for vaccinated people are nonsense – which is also now seen this way by the US government.

Please note our information on comments.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Unsere Website verwendet Cookies und sammelt dabei Informationen über Ihren Besuch, um unsere Website zu verbessern (durch Analyse), Ihnen Social Media-Inhalte und relevante Werbung anzuzeigen. Weitere Informationen finden Sie auf unserer Seite . Sie können zustimmen, indem Sie auf die Schaltfläche "Akzeptieren" klicken.

Cookie-Einstellungen

Unten können Sie auswählen, welche Art von Cookies Sie auf dieser Website zulassen. Klicken Sie auf die Schaltfläche "Cookie-Einstellungen speichern", um Ihre Auswahl zu übernehmen.

FunktionalUnsere Website verwendet funktionale Cookies. Diese Cookies sind erforderlich, damit unsere Website funktioniert.

AnalyticsUnsere Website verwendet analytische Cookies, um die Analyse und Optimierung unserer Website für a.o. die Benutzerfreundlichkeit.

Social Media, YouTube, VimeoUnsere Website platziert Social Media-Cookies, um Ihnen Inhalte von Drittanbietern wie YouTube und FaceBook anzuzeigen. Diese Cookies können Ihre persönlichen Daten verfolgen.

WerbungUnsere Website platziert Werbe-Cookies, um Ihnen Werbung von Drittanbietern zu zeigen, die Ihren Interessen entspricht. Diese Cookies können Ihre persönlichen Daten verfolgen.

AndereAuf unserer Website werden Cookies von Drittanbietern von anderen Diensten von Drittanbietern platziert, bei denen es sich nicht um Analysen, soziale Medien oder Werbung handelt.