September 29, 2023 Columns by Ed Tobias What you need to know about COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines My wife and I got the latest COVID-19 vaccine the other day, the first of three vaccines we’ll be getting this fall. The others are the seasonal flu vaccine and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. This was my sixth COVID-19 vaccine, and I’ve received a…
June 23, 2023 News by Lindsey Shapiro, PhD Regular vaccinations for most MS patients recommended by experts People with multiple sclerosis (MS) should generally follow a regular vaccination schedule similar to their healthy peers, with certain adjustments made if they’re on particular disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), according to a group of experts in Europe who devised a set of more than 50 evidence-based guidelines for the…
February 25, 2022 Columns by John Connor Does 2 + 2 = 4, 5, or 0? Am I about to share my first conspiracy theory, even if it’s just about me? Why not? Itās all the rage, though this one may have a loose connection to a possible truth. Stick with the story, please. It requires some scene-setting. It was years ago, at the end of…
January 3, 2022 News by Marisa Wexler, MS Top 10 Multiple Sclerosis Stories of 2021 Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ brought you daily coverage of the latest scientific research, advances in treatment, and clinical trials related to multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout 2021. We look forward to continuing to be a resource for the MS community in 2022. Here are the Top 10 most-read articles of…
November 19, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Can Focusing on the Epstein-Barr Virus Help Researchers Fight MS? There are continuing signals that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a fuel that can spark a multiple sclerosis (MS) fire. EBV is a herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, more commonly known as mono. Sometimes called the “kissing disease” because the virus that causes it is easily spread through saliva,…
October 22, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias It’s Flu Vaccine Time Again, So Here’s What You Need to Know A couple weeks ago, my wife and I rolled up our sleeves and got our shots again. No, not the COVID-19 vaccine. We’ve already had two of those, and expect to receive a third before Thanksgiving. The latest shot was a seasonal flu vaccine, which we’ve gotten every year…
August 20, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias Do People With MS Need a 3rd Vaccine Shot? Now that a third COVID-19 vaccine shot has been approved in the U.S. for immunocompromised people, and vaccine boosters are expected to be available to the general publicĀ sometime after Sept. 20, Walgreens and CVS have lost no time in offering the additional shot to those who qualify.
April 29, 2021 News by Marisa Wexler, MS #AANAM ā Exploring Mavenclad’s Effects on Immune Cells Editorās note: TheĀ Multiple Sclerosis News TodayĀ team is providing in-depth coverage of the 2021 Virtual AAN Annual Meeting, held April 17ā22. GoĀ hereĀ to read stories from the conference. After starting treatment with the multiple sclerosis (MS) therapy Mavenclad (cladribine), some types of immune cells are more affected…
September 20, 2019 Columns by Ed Tobias Neuros Say that Flu Shots and Other Vaccines Are OK for Those with MS This is the time of year when my wife and I start thinking about getting our flu shots. We’ve already had the pneumonia and the older shingles vaccine and hope to soon update with the new shingles vaccine, Shingrix (recombinant zoster vaccine). These vaccines are OK with my neurologist and…
August 30, 2019 News by Marisa Wexler, MS New AAN Guidelines Favor Regular Vaccinations, Including Flu Shots, for MS Patients New guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) recommend that people with multiple sclerosis (MS) keep up with regular vaccinations, including annual flu shots, but be sure to first advise their doctor on medications they are using. The guidelines were published in the journalĀ Neurology, in the report…
August 5, 2019 News by Ana Pena PhD Vaccines Pose No Risk of Developing MS, Large Population Study in Germany Reports Vaccines are not a risk factor for multiple sclerosis (MS), a large data analysis spanning more than 12,250 MS patients in Germany shows. Fewer vaccinations were given to people who ā five years later ā would be diagnosed with MS, compared to those who would be diagnosed with…
September 11, 2018 Columns by Ed Tobias Things to Know About Flu Shots if You Have MS The start of flu season here in the United States is just a few weeks away. It’s time for my wife and me to get our flu shots, just as we have for as long as I can remember. My neurologist and our primary care physician both recommend the…
October 10, 2016 Columns by Laura Kolaczkowski Influenza, Vaccinations, MS Should those of us with multiple sclerosis get vaccinated for influenza or not? It’s a debate that takes place in many MS communities each fall. TheĀ argument against the flu immunization is based on half-truths and flat-out misconceptions ā and a lot of anecdotal tales that donāt hold up to…
September 15, 2016 Columns by Ed Tobias MS and the Shingles Vaccine: Can They Go Together? A post on another website, asking about whether it was wise for someone with Multiple Sclerosis to receive the shingles vaccine, caught my attention the other day. “Have any of you had the Shingles vaccine? I’m still debating about it. I’m concerned about insulting my immune system…
May 5, 2016 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Key Pathway in Antibody B-Cell Production Identified, Important to Diseases Like MS Scientists discovered two key players āĀ TBK1 and ICOS āĀ that control the effective production of antibodies and may offer newĀ insights into potential therapies for autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. The study, āA TRAF-like motif of the inducible costimulator ICOS controls development of germinal center TFH cells via the…
October 23, 2014 News by Patricia Inacio, PhD Study Finds No Link Between Vaccines and Multiple Sclerosis A new study entitled, āVaccines and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis and Other Central Nervous System Demyelinating Diseasesā published in theĀ JAMA Neurology journal, reports that no association was observed between vaccinations and an increased risk for Multiple Sclerosis or other central nervous system…