From the Journals
Rare, serious alemtuzumab adverse events emerge
New reports reveal rare adverse events in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis using alemtuzumab.
Guidance on vaccinations
On the vaccination front, Dr. Williamson said vaccines are a good idea for MS patients – as long as they’re “relatively safe” – because some infectious diseases appear to be more severe in this population.
Flu is a special danger, Dr. Williamson said. He recommends the flu vaccine to patients “because people with MS are at higher risk of influenza-related complications or hospitalizations.”
With guidance from a report led by Dr. Williamson, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers recommendations about whether patients with MS should use various vaccines (Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2016;16:36).
Dr. Williamson cautioned that patients with MS who take dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera), ocrelizumab (Ocrevus), and fingolimod (Gilenya) should not use live vaccines. The drugs can pose issues in regard to other vaccines, too, he said (Plos ONE 2013; 8:e78532; Neurol Res 2012;34:730-3; Neurology. 2013;81:552-8).