Evolution of our understanding of MS-COVID-19 interactions and concerns for vaccination

Sanjiti Podury; Erum Khan; Medha Tandon; Shruti Jaiswal; Shitiz Sriwastava

doi:10.1016/j.jocn.2021.05.063

Evolution of our understanding of MS-COVID-19 interactions and concerns for vaccination

J Clin Neurosci. 2021 Aug:90:132-134. doi: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.05.063. Epub 2021 Jun 1.

Authors

Sanjiti Podury¹, Erum Khan², Medha Tandon³, Shruti Jaiswal⁴, Shitiz Sriwastava⁵

Affiliations

¹ Army College of Medical Sciences, India.
² B.J. Medical College and Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad, India.
³ University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
⁴ West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States.
⁵ Department of Neurology, Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States; West Virginia Clinical and Translational Science Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States. Electronic address: shitiz.sriwastava@hsc.wvu.edu.

Abstract

As the news of approval of COVID-19 vaccination emerge, neurologists across the globe ponder upon whether to use immunotherapies in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This paper highlights the mechanism of various disease modifying therapies (DMTs) as well as the recently approved Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for COVID-19 as well as guidelines as introduced by National Multiple Sclerosis Society. As their mechanisms counteract each other at the molecular level, we believe further evidence and data might lay the foundation to formulate much needed recommendations for the usage of these medications while vaccinating MS patients on DMTs.

Keywords: COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccine; Disease modifying therapies; Multiple Sclerosis.

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / complications*
COVID-19 / prevention & control
COVID-19 Vaccines*
Humans
Immunotherapy
Multiple Sclerosis / complications*
Multiple Sclerosis / drug therapy
Vaccination*

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines