Getting a COVID vaccine or booster won't raise a person's odds for an MS relapse The study looked at the risk for severe relapse requiring a doctor's care The finding is reassuring since some prior studies had hinted at higher relapse rates after the COVID shot WEDNESDAY, Aug. 21, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Multiple sclerosis makes people vulnerable to more severe cases of COVID-19, but a new study finds that getting the COVID vaccine won't trigger a relapse of MS symptoms. “People with MS have an increased risk of severe COVID infection due to their level of motor disability or exposure to treatments that suppress their immune systems,” explained study lead author Dr.
Xavier Moisset , of Clermont Auvergne University in Clermont-Ferrand, France. “Some previous studies have found relapses following vaccination, leading some people to not seek the recommended booster doses," he noted. "The good news is that our study found that there was no increased risk of relapse after COVID-19 vaccination for nearly all participants.
” The findings were published recently in the journal Neurology . The research included 124,545 French people diagnosed with MS for an average of 14 years. A majority (82%) had gotten at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, and of that group 95% went on to get a second dose while 59% got an extra booster dose.
Because any vaccine-linked relapse of MS typically occurs within 28 days of immunization, Moisset's team tracked outcomes for all participants within .