Thread by @AlanBixter

UPDATE: MS and COVID-19 Vaccination
A few weeks ago I tweeted about the issues surrounding those on immunosuppressant treatments needing the vaccine for COVID-19. I talked about my own decision at that time. This thread provides important new information for MS patients. /2

Following my tweets, I was approached by a number of media organisation asking if I would like to talk about the issues to a broader audience. One of these was a major newspaper. I drafted an article, and as I always do, circulated it amongst colleagues for feedback. /3

Three very senior neurologists contacted me in what I describe as "an intervention." Although speaking independently, their points were the same, which were: 1) Stopping my MS treatment for 6 months was the wrong thing to do. It placed me at a high risk of serious harm. /4

2) The danger of pausing my MS Rx was a greater risk than that of COVID, especially in Australia. 3) While the possibility that I might respond poorly to the vaccine while immune suppressed is a reasonable hypothesis, the risk of stopping Rx is known. /5

4) Even discussing stopping my treatment publicly, might encourage others to do so to, and would place others at significant risk. 5) If many people did so, existing MS services would not be sufficient to cope with the relapses. 6) The MS Society has now released guidelines. /6

The MS Society has provided the advice that people with MS should continue with their MS treatment, as delaying this in any way is associated with a very significant risk of relapse and progression. /7

Although no data are yet available, none of the COVID vaccines pose a theoretical risk to people with impaired immunity. /8

Although immunomodulatory treatments like Ocrelizumab will likely impair responses to the COVID vaccines, the responses to vaccination will still be better than nothing, and may well provide useful protection. /9

You can read this advice in detail here:
msaustralia.org.au/about-ms/covid…
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