Clinical outcomes of COVID-19 in patients with multiple sclerosis treated with ocrelizumab in the pre- and post-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination periods: Insights from Israel

Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2022 Dec:68:104153. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2022.104153. Epub 2022 Aug 29.

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused challenges in the management of patients living with multiple sclerosis (PLwMS). We investigated the occurrence and severity of COVID-19 infection post-vaccination among PLwMS treated with ocrelizumab and enrolled in the Maccabi Health Services (MHS) (n = 289) or followed at the Hadassah Medical Center (HMC) (n = 80) in Israel. Most patients were fully vaccinated (MHS n = 218; HMC n = 76) and confirmed infection post-vaccination was low (3.7% and 2.6%, respectively). MHS: infection was more severe (hospitalization/intensive care unit/death) in non-vaccinated (33.3%) vs vaccinated patients (25%). HMC: one vaccinated patient required hospitalization with COVID-19 vs two unvaccinated patients. These data from two Israel cohorts suggest that occurrence of COVID-19 after mRNA vaccination is low and limited in severity.

Publication types

  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Multiple Sclerosis* / complications
  • Multiple Sclerosis* / drug therapy
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Vaccination

Substances

  • COVID-19 Vaccines