Investigating the Effect of COVID-19 Vaccination on the Course of Disease and Recurrence of Attacks in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic, with its high mortality rate, has underscored the urgent need for the rapid production of vaccines. This has prompted research into the effects of vaccines on specific populations, including patients with immune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Objectives: This study aimed to examine the impacts of COVID vaccination on individuals with MS. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 302 patients with relapsing-remitting MS who had received the coronavirus vaccine. These patients were referred to the MS clinic of two referral hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The data collection instrument used was a checklist that included demographic information and disease-related details, such as the duration of the disease, underlying conditions, type and timing of vaccine administration, and the occurrence of attacks before and after the vaccination rounds. Results: During the first and second rounds of vaccination, the majority of patients (90.7% and 87.1%, respectively) received the Sinopharm vaccine. In the third round, approximately one-third (32.8%) did not receive the vaccine, and in the fourth round, the majority of individuals (85.8%) also did not receive it. However, most vaccinated individuals had received the Sinopharm vaccine. Among the sample, 34 individuals (11.3%) were newly diagnosed with MS after receiving the vaccine. Additionally, 41.7% of individuals experienced an attack within three months after receiving one of the vaccine doses. Conclusions: Vaccinations during the COVID era have significantly contributed to saving lives and preventing death. However, they have also had consequences that need careful examination and consideration in future vaccine production and epidemic management. The results obtained from this study can be associated with the vaccine, but given the retrospective nature of the study, further research on the long-term effects of the vaccine is needed to generalize the findings.