Tysabri MS and Flu shots

[KittahNY]

Hi. I have been on Tysabri for almost a year now. My school is telling me I have to get a flu shot in order to work at the clinical rotation I need to do this winter at a Nursing Home. I have never had a flu shot, and I have never had the flu. I hear frequently that people get the flu when they get the shot. What will happen to me? I know I cannot get the nasal spray. But is there any documented issues with Tysabri and flu shots?

[ru4cats]

I've been getting flu shots "forever" since in my "other life" I was a teacher. I started Tysabri the year AFTER I retired ( so much for the "golden years") and continued with the flu shots. I've never had a problem. Usually, I get my allergy shot in one arm and the flu shot in the other arm on the same day!

[MSer102]

I hear frequently that people get the flu when they get the shot.

That might be what you hear but it isn't true. The flu shot is an inactive virus so you can't get the flu from it. There might be an immune response to it but it isn't the flu and it won't be as bad as the flu. But that's probably what people mean when they say they got the flu from the flu shot. Except it isn't the flu.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society says this:

"The injectable flu vaccine, which is an ‘inactivated’ vaccine, is recommended for everyone over 6 months of age. It has been studied extensively in people with MS and is considered quite safe. The injectable flu vaccine may be taken by people who are taking an interferon medication, glatiramer acetate, mitoxantrone, natalizumab, or fingolimod. However it is not yet known whether the vaccine is as effective for those talking natalizumab or fingolimod."
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/liv...013/index.aspx

That means that the flu shot is considered safe for people taking Tysabri. But it isn't known yet whether it's as effective in preventing the flu in someone who is taking Tysabri.

The flu shot vaccinates only for a few of the flu strains that the CDC thinks will be the most prevalent during that season. So it's still possible to get the flu from a virus that wasn't included in the flu shot. And in a nursing home that might happen. But if your major worry is that the shot will give you the flu, it won't.

[Special Kay]

Good response from MSer102.

As I understand it, the injectable flu vaccine is inactive, but the nasal/inhaled flu vaccine is live/attenuated, so you'll want to be sure you get the injected form if you're on Tysabri.