Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in challenges for the practice of neurology. One major concern is how to best manage patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are on disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). DMTs frequently have immunosuppressive properties that both increase the risk for COVID-19 and potentially reduce the immunologic response to vaccination in a group already vulnerable to infection due to neurologic deficits. Here, we review early data on COVID-19 outcomes in patients with MS and discuss what is known about vaccine effectiveness in those on anti-CD20 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agents, which are proposed to have attenuating effects based on their mechanisms of action. In addition, we provide recommendations to best use novel COVID-19 vaccines in this population and highlight what information may better inform vaccine strategies in the future.
Footnotes
Funding information and disclosures are provided at the end of the article. Full disclosure form information provided by the authors is available with the full text of this article at Neurology.org/cp.
COVID-19 Resources: NPub.org/COVID19
- Received January 25, 2021.
- Accepted March 18, 2021.
- Copyright © 2021 American Academy of Neurology
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