Vaccines (Mar 2021)

COVID-19 Vaccine Failure in a Patient with Multiple Sclerosis on Ocrelizumab

  • Sridhar Chilimuri,
  • Nikhitha Mantri,
  • Sudharsan Gongati,
  • Maleeha Zahid,
  • Haozhe Sun

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9030219
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 3
p. 219

Abstract

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Vaccines will play a key role in ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination against infections remains an important part of the management of patients with multiple sclerosis. However, there are limited data about the safety and efficacy of the currently available COVID-19 mRNA vaccines in patients with multiple sclerosis receiving concurrent immunosuppressive therapies. Patients on B cell depleting therapy such as ocrelizumab have an attenuated vaccine response. We report the first case of COVID-19 vaccine failure in a patient with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis on B cell depleting therapy, ocrelizumab. We offer suggestions to improve vaccine efficacy in these patients.

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