Anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in people with multiple sclerosis: Lessons learned a year in

Authors: Maura Pugliatti1,2, Hans-Peter Hartung3,4,5, Celia Oreja-Guevara6,7, Carlo Pozzilli8, Laura Airas9,10, Mona Alkhawajah11,12, Nikolaos Grigoriadis13, Melinda Magyari14, Bart Van Wijmeersch15,16,17, Magd Zakaria18, Ralf Linker19, Andrew Chan20, Patrick Vermersch21 and Thomas Berger22,23

¹Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy, ²Interdepartmental Center of Research for Multiple Sclerosis and Neuro-inflammatory and Degenerative Diseases, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy, ³Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany, ⁴Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia, ⁵Department of Neurology, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czechia, ⁶Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital Clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain, ⁷Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain, ⁸Multiple Sclerosis Center, S. Andrea Hospital, Department of Human Neuroscience, University Sapienza, Rome, Italy, ⁹Division of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, ¹⁰Neurocenter of Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland, ¹¹Section of Neurology, Neurosciences Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ¹²College of Medicine, Al Faisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ¹³Laboratory of Experimental Neurology and Neuroimmunology, Second Department of Neurology, American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) University Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, ¹⁴Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark, ¹⁵Universitair Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Centrum, Hasselt-Pelt, Belgium, ¹⁶Revalidatie & Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Noorderhart, Pelt, Belgium, ¹⁷Rehabilitation Research Center (REVAL) & Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED), Hasselt University, Hasselt, Belgium, ¹⁸Department of Neurology, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, ¹⁹Clinic and Polyclinic for Neurology, Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany, ²⁰Department of Neurology, Inselspital Bern, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland, ²¹University of Lille, Inserm U1172 LilNCog, CHU Lille, FHU Precise, Lille, France, ²²Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, ²³Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Abstract

It has been over a year since people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) have been receiving vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). With a negligible number of cases in which vaccination led to a relapse or new onset MS, experts around the world agree that the potential consequences of COVID-19 in pwMS by far outweigh the risks of vaccination. This article reviews the currently available types of anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the immune responses they elicit in pwMS treated with different DMTs. Findings to date highlight the importance of vaccine timing in relation to DMT dosing to maximize protection, and of encouraging pwMS to get booster doses when offered.

© 2022 Pugliatti, Hartung, Oreja-Guevara, Pozzilli, Airas, Alkhawajah, Grigoriadis, Magyari, Van Wijmeersch, Zakaria, Linker, Chan, Vermersch and Berger.