So everyone is talking about when we have a vaccine available, life will be normal again. But aren’t MS’ers supposed to avoid live vaccines? Yes MS’ers take the flu vaccine but this has been proved relatively safe through countless research and the flu is less deadly than Covid anyway. I’m guessing they won’t be able to tell us the side effects of any new vaccine on MS’ers unless MS’ers are included in clinical trials. I’m not sure I want to take a live vaccine that has no studies linked to MS side effects so how will I/we EVER return to normal life? ?
i think its a bit early to think about side effects off a vaccine that don’t exist yet has there been many msrs affected by covid 19 or any other overactive immune system patients.
i woudnt worry to much forgetful teapot
I know it sounds like I’m worrying about things that haven’t yet happened. But my MS is private and my employer doesn’t know. So I lie in bed unable to sleep because I weigh up in my mind what I would do if I were faced with the situation of having to take a vaccine in order to return to work. I wonder if it would perhaps it would be safer to social distance longer term rather than be a guinea pig to science. I am a single mum with no one to look after my kids if anything were to happen, so I’m always thinking ahead about what decisions I would take.
**and can I just add I’m NOT an anti-vaxer!! My kids and I have had every vaccination ever required. Just worry about potentially having to take something which is not specifically tested against MS in clinical trials.
I understand your fears Teapot.
Boudsx
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When a vaccine is developed having been subjected to many tests etc. it will have to be approved before it can be licensed.
This is a very rigorous and time consuming process and will probably take at least 12 months so don’t worry about it at this stage.
slightly o/t I hope reserch is going on re testing the efficacy of drugs already out there.
I thing most vaccines aren’t live these days, exception that I am aware of is yellow fever. My sister died from complications of the flu in 2012, so quite frankly if offered I’d take a vaccine. I don’t think they would offer a vaccine to a person with ms if they thought there would be issues.
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Seasonal flu killed 28,000 people in 2014/5, so you are wise to take the jab.
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Yes a vaccine is being tested in oxford at the moment they are using one which is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from chimpanzees that has been modified so it cannot grow in humans.
Oxford already have a vaccine for MERS which is showing good results in trails, so i would expect this now its started in trails to probably be ready by the end of this year.
there are also 3 drugs being trailed for the SARS-CoV-2 virus which is Covid 19. One is untested Ebola which they are now trailing, chlorquine, and an AIDS/HIV medication cant remember its name, which alongside anti virals shows a lot of promise.
I think we just have to stop thinking about the when as it will take time, the only thing we can do is carry on with lockdown and self distancing, to avoid catching it and spreading it.
we are in for the long hual, sadly.
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For a bit of context, a new vaccine normally takes about 10 years to be developed & tested. So if we have one that’s good to go in 12 months it’ll be some achievement!
I appreciate you want to keep things private, but would it really be that bad to tell your employer about it? It could make a lot of support available to you. I was up front right from the start with mine, and only ever had excellent support from them - allowing me to work flexible hours & work from home, they were supportive when needing time off, and put me in touch with Access to Work (a DWP thing that helps disabled people to work).
Dan
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The vaccine for the normal winter flu isn’t a live vaccine so I wouldn’t worry about that. But I doubt that the wider public will get either a vaccine or an antibody test, front line workers first followed by the vulnerable, followed by the elderly. So everyone else will have to wait.
As of Wednesday am… I got some of this wrong just watching breakfast on bbc.now that tests are available for more and they want to lift the lockdown, I don’t see how they can refuse people a vaccine when one becomes available.