As a person with MS, should I have the COVID-19 vaccination? It is currently recommended that everyone over the age of 5 years should be vaccinated against COVID-19. There is no evidence that people with MS are at a greater risk of adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination.
People with MS should be vaccinated against COVID-19
Like other medical decisions, the decision to get a vaccine is best made in partnership with your healthcare provider. Most people with relapsing and progressive forms of MS should be vaccinated.
Live and live-attenuated vaccines are not recommended for people with MS who have recently taken steroids or who take certain disease modifying therapies (DMT) that suppress the immune system.
Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines
During that conversation you should consider your risk factors for severe outcomes from a COVID-19 infection, like age and other health conditions you have. Having MS does not automatically mean that you are immunocompromised.
COVID-19 risk for people with MS
However certain factors, including some disabilities that may result from your MS, have been shown to increase the risk of a severe case of COVID-19: Progressive MS. Older age.
In MS, the immune system becomes confused and attacks the protective myelin coating around our nerves by mistake. If myelin is damaged by the immune system, the nerve can't communicate properly and may eventually die. To stop MS, we need to stop the immune system attacking myelin.
your genes – MS isn't directly inherited, but people who are related to someone with the condition are more likely to develop it; the chance of a sibling or child of someone with MS also developing it is estimated to be around 2 to 3 in 100.
Average life span of 25 to 35 years after the diagnosis of MS is made are often stated. Some of the most common causes of death in MS patients are secondary complications resulting from immobility, chronic urinary tract infections, compromised swallowing and breathing.
MS can appear at any age but most commonly manifests between the ages of 20 and 40. It affects women two to three times as often as men. Almost one million people in the United States have MS, making it one of the most common causes of neurological disability among young adults in North America.
Race. White people, particularly those of Northern European descent, are at highest risk of developing MS . People of Asian, African or Native American descent have the lowest risk. A recent study suggests that the number of Black and Hispanic young adults with multiple sclerosis may be greater than previously thought.
A person with benign MS will have few symptoms or loss of ability after having MS for about 15 years, while most people with MS would be expected to have some degree of disability after that amount of time, particularly if their MS went untreated.
You're more likely to catch a cold or flu virus if you have MS, especially if you take certain medicines that curb your immune system -- your body's defense against germs. And when you get sick with the flu, your MS raises the chances of health problems that may need treatment at your doctor's office or a hospital.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS)
Autoimmune disease occurs when this normal, healthy response is directed against normal proteins on the body's own cells. Depending on which organ is affected, a specific syndrome arises. If it is the skin, psoriasis, eczema, or vitiligo may occur.
It is also known as neuromyelitis optica (NMO) or Devic's disease. Some of its symptoms are similar to the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, so it may be misdiagnosed as such.
Can you have both MS and lupus? It's very rare, but a small number of people have been diagnosed with both MS and lupus. However, none of them had severe forms of either disease.
Although more people are being diagnosed with MS today than in the past, the reasons for this are not clear. Likely contributors include greater awareness of the disease, better access to medical care and improved diagnostic capabilities. There is no definitive evidence that the rate of MS is generally on the increase.
As expected fatigue was a significant symptom for the people with MS in the studies included, it was commonly experienced and often affected those people severely. Daytime sleepiness was observed less often than fatigue and was usually less severe, but it had a significant impact on the people it did affect.
Can stress cause MS? Some people with MS feel that they developed MS as a direct result of some stressful event or trauma. The evidence on this connection is mixed. Some studies do see an effect whilst others don't.
Many people with MS choose to use wheelchairs or scooters from time to time or to do certain things, perhaps because of symptoms like fatigue or weakness, or to conserve energy.
MS is not directly inherited from parent to child. There's no single gene that causes it. Over 200 genes might affect your chances of getting MS.
The prevalence of MS in Australia has increased from 103.7 per 100,000 people in 2017 to 131.1 per 100,000 people in 2021. This increase in prevalence is most likely due to changes in exposure to known MS risk factors.