National MS Society No Masks or Proof of Vax Staying Safe in the Next Normal if You re Living With MS Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 04 May 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles National MS Society No Masks or Proof of Vax Staying Safe in the Next Normal if You re Living With MS We have to remain resilient and flexible as COVID-19 becomes endemic, says Nancy Sicotte, MD. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. Doctor Nancy Sicotte, MD The National Multiple Sclerosis Society recently featured Nancy L. Sicotte, MD, chair of the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai, in its "Real Talk MS" series discussing how multiple sclerosis (MS) patients can navigate the "next normal" as COVID-19 becomes endemic. Sicotte recommended that patients living with MS get fully vaccinated even though certain therapies they're taking might limit the number of neutralizing antibodies their bodies can make, thus preventing a robust immune response. But Sicotte said the vaccine can still trigger T-cells, another important part of the immune system. "That's the second line of defense," Sicotte told "Real Talk MS" host John Strum. "Those are the responses that keep you from getting very ill if you do happen to get infected with the virus. So even though these disease-modifying therapies can decrease some of the responses, we still very much recommend that anyone living with MS on these drugs get vaccinated as well." Sicotte also reminded listeners about another tool they can use to protect themselves, a therapy called Evusheld. "It's two different kinds of monoclonal antibody, and …you take this to prevent an infection with COVID," said Sicotte, who is a professor of Neurology and the Women's Guild Distinguished Chair in Neurology. She told Strum that listeners should speak with their neurologist about getting these injections if they are taking medications that decrease their response to the COVID-19 vaccine and they've been fully vaccinated. As COVID-19 becomes endemic, "we still really are living in a pandemic," Sicotte said, pointing out that the virus that causes COVID-19 is still very active around the world. She hoped that we're moving toward a time when the virus becomes something we can live with and manage. "We're all struggling to see what the future is going to look like and how we’re going to cope with it," Sicotte told Strum. "I guess the theme has been, it's never what we expected, and so we have to remain resilient and flexible." Click here to listen to the complete interview. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release National MS Society No Masks or Proof of Vax Staying Safe in the Next Normal if You re Living With MS Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home