Multiple Sclerosis Treatments Can Decrease Flu Vaccine Effectiveness

By Brett Drummond

Most current treatment options for MS involve altering and often suppressing the immune system. In many instances, this leads to an increased susceptibility to infection. Therefore, getting protection against infection, in the form of vaccines, is particularly important for people with MS. However, little is known about the effect that medications being taken for MS can have on the effectiveness of different vaccines.

A recent study in Norway by Olberg et al has investigated how different MS treatments affect the success of the flu vaccine. Using a large number of patients, they demonstrated that different medications had differing impacts. People receiving interferon beta showed comparable levels of protection with controls. However, the rate of protection was significantly decreased in people receiving Copaxone or Tysabri. The outcomes of this study suggest that people with MS taking medication other than interferon beta should be tested after receiving the flu vaccine to see how effectively they respond to it. If the response is poor, they can then be given a second dose of the flu vaccine to boost its levels.