COVID-19 vaccination doesn’t seem to increase risk of relapse in multiple sclerosis

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers analyzed 19 observational studies including 14,755 patients with MS who received 23,088 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The mean age of patients was 43.3 years with 82.6% diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS, 12.6% with secondary-progressive MS, 6.7% with primary-progressive MS, and 2.9% with clinically isolated syndrome.

After a mean of 20 days post-vaccination, pooled proportion of MS patients who experienced a relapse was 1.9%, with the risk of relapse independent of the type of vaccine administered. In 4.8% of patients, transient neurological worsening was observed after being vaccinated.

Adverse events were reported in 52.8% of and serious adverse events in 0.1% of vaccinations.

“Weighted against the risks of SARS-CoV-2-related complications and MS exacerbations, these safety data provide compelling pro-vaccination arguments for MS patients,” the authors concluded.

Reference
Stefanou MI, Palaiodimou L, Theodorou A, et al. Safety of COVID-19 vaccines in multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Mult Scler. 2023;13524585221150881. doi: 10.1177/13524585221150881. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36722184.