John King says he has multiple sclerosis and is immunocompromised

CNN anchor John King said Tuesday that he has multiple sclerosis and is immunocompromised.

King, 58, the network's chief political correspondent, made the disclosure on his show Inside Politics in a moment that appeared to have been unscripted.

I'm going to share a secret I've never shared before, King said. I am immunocompromised. I'm grateful you're all vaccinated. King praised the network for mandating vaccinations for its employees, saying, I worry about bringing it home to my 10 year-old son who can't get a vaccine. He said that while I don't like the government telling me what to do, I don't like my boss telling me what to do, in this case it's important. King and his guests were talking about mandates in a discussion about former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who died Monday of Covid complications. Powell had been vaccinated, but he had cancer that compromised his immune system.

Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack the central nervous system, resulting in the degeneration of myelin, a protective coating on nerves. Eventually, the destruction of the nervous system's insulation leads to a breakdown in communication that can cause many symptoms, including degeneration of vision, motor function, speech and the sense of touch.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society estimates that 1 million Americans live with the chronic disease, which has treatments that can slow its progression and alleviate symptoms but no known cure.

Immunocompromised people, including those with MS, were among those offered first access to Covid - 19 vaccines because their bodies mount weaker responses to vaccines in general and are more susceptible to severe disease and death if they test positive for the coronavirus.

In August, the FDA authorized a third dose of Moderna's and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines on an emergency basis for the estimated 2.7 percent of adults who are immunocompromised. Last month, the FDA OK'd a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for more people, including those 65 and older and those in certain high-risk occupations.

The National Institutes of Health is conducting a large study of immune responses to Covid - 19 vaccines in people with immune disorders.