Immunity is an extensive topic that can be most simply defined as protection from disease.
When germs enter the body, they start to reproduce. This invasion, called an infection, is what causes illness. The immune system responds by making proteins, called antibodies, which help destroy the germs. Antibodies remain in the bloodstream and provide protection if the same germs attack again, destroying them before they cause illness.
Vaccines help develop immunity by imitating an infection. This type of infection almost never causes illness, but it does cause the immune system response described above.
What about the new COVID-19 vaccines?
RNA (or messenger RNA) vaccines are a new type of vaccine. The recent COVID-19 vaccines are among the first to be approved for use in humans. These vaccines deliver genetic instructions for a critical section of the coronavirus’s spike protein. Production of these proteins triggers an immune response in the body that provides protection from the “real” virus. This protein is easy for the immune system to attack because it sits on the virus’s outer surface. It’s also indispensable to the virus, as it’s required for entry into the cells.
National Ms Society Covid-19 Vaccine Guidance For People With MS
According to the National MS Society’s recently released COVID-19 vaccine guidance, “Vaccination against COVID-19 is critical for public safety and, especially, the safety of the most vulnerable among us. Get your vaccine as soon as it is available to you. Please review the full guidance to learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and multiple sclerosis.”
Are Traditional Vaccines Safe For People With MS?
Several studies provide evidence that other traditional vaccines neither cause nor exacerbate MS and other demyelinating diseases.
Live-attenuated vaccines contain a weakened form of the living virus or bacteria. They are the closest thing to a natural infection and are not recommended for people with MS on disease modifying therapy. Of note, new COVID-19 vaccines are NOT live-attenuated vaccines.
