Travel, safari, and the yellow fever vaccine for MSers

[ActiveMSers]

Multiple sclerosis: Is there a risk of worsening after yellow fever vaccination?

Show all authors
Caroline Papeix, Julie Mazoyer, Elisabeth Maillart, ...
First Published April 19, 2021
https://doi.org/10.1177/13524585211006372

Abstract

Background:
Yellow fever vaccine (YFV) is not advised for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients because of the potential risk of post-vaccine relapses.

Objective:
To assess the risk of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) worsening after YFV.

Methods:
Non-interventional observational retrospective, exposed/non-exposed cohort study nested in the French national cohort including MS.

Results:
128 RR-MS were included. The 1-year annualized relapse rate (ARR) following YFV did not differ between exposed: 0.219 (0.420) and non-exposed subjects: 0.208 (0.521) (p = 0.92). Time to first relapse was not different between groups (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 1.33; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.53–3.30, p = 0.54).

Conclusion:
These results suggest that YFV does not worsen the course of RR-MS.

[Suebee]

I seem to remember a great post here from several yrs ago about the yellow fever vaccine, and a MSers, who were traveling to areas where risk of yellow fever was high, and upon consult with doctors went ahead with vaccine because of great chance of contracting yellow fever otherwise. Seems like not much of choice if going on Safari so good news vaccine doesn’t appear to worsen course of RRMS.