Multiple sclerosis: Is there a risk of worsening after yellow fever vaccination?
Caroline Papeix, Julie Mazoyer, Élisabeth Maillart, Caroline Bensa, Anne‐Laure Dubessy, C. Goujon, Odile Launay, Christine Lebrun‐Frénay, Céline Louapre, S. Mrejen, Valérie Pourcher, M. Rosenheim, Bruno Stankoff, Jean‐Sébastien Vidal, Catherine Lubetzki
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.