This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

Until there is solid proof that MS is a venous problem, then the only other rational explanation would be toxins to our immune system

There has been a lot of conjecture about whether getting immunised against hepatitis B increases the risk of getting MS. Hepatitis B vaccine is genetically engineered and has been available since the 1980s. It is considered to be well tolerated by people, although there have been many reports of increased risk of MS associated with the immunisation. A large case-control study from the US tested whether this was by chance, and found an alarming increase in the risk for several major autoimmune diseases, including MS. People getting hepatitis B vaccination were 5.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with MS than controls who were not vaccinated.1 This is supported by a US case-control study which showed that people with MS were 3.1 times more likely to have been vaccinated in the three years prior to onset of symptoms than controls who did not have MS.2 To confirm that this was a real effect specific to hepatitis vaccination, they checked whether tetanus or influenza vaccination resulted in any similar effect, and found none.

It seems likely that MS is not the only autoimmune disease which may be precipitated by hepatitis B vaccination. US researchers found significant numbers of people with other autoimmune disease after hepatitis B vaccination in a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System and the general medical literature.3 They concluded that it should be considered that there is causal relationship between hepatitis B vaccination and serious autoimmune disorders among certain susceptible people.

For people already vaccinated for hepatitis B there is nothing that can be done about it. But it may be worth considering this information if the question comes up of having close family members or children vaccinated for hepatitis B, given that they already have a much higher risk of developing MS than the general community.

References

1. Geier DA, Geier MR. A case-control study of serious autoimmune adverse events following hepatitis B immunization. Autoimmunity 2005; 38:295-301
2. Hernan MA, Jick SS, Olek MJ, et al. Recombinant hepatitis B vaccine and the risk of multiple sclerosis: A prospective study. Neurology 2004; 63:838-842
3. Geier MR, Geier DA. A case-series of adverse events, positive re-challenge of symptoms, and events in identical twins following hepatitis B vaccination: analysis of the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database and literature review. Clin Exp Rheumatol 2004; 22:749-755