Vaccines and cancer. Can people with cancer get vaccinated?

Vaccines are designed to support the immune system in the fight against various types of viral infections. According to the American Cancer Society, vaccination of cancer patients is not recommended for people during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, flu vaccination is possible and should be done every year. The vaccine works by introducing a viral antigen into the body and triggering a response from the immune system. Cancer treatment weakens it significantly, so the response may be insufficient. So what are the recommendations? When should you get vaccinated? You will find the answers to these questions below.

Flu vaccination

It is recommended that you have the flu vaccine every year. It protects against the development of flu, which can be fatal in immunocompromised people, so preventing flu is especially important for people with cancer. Cancer patients should receive vaccine containing an inactive virus every year. Such high vaccination frequency is dictated by vaccine modifications adjusted to new influenza virus mutations. According to the recommendations of the American Cancer Society, people living with a cancer patient should also get vaccined.

COVID-19 vaccination

Vaccination guidelines for people being treated in 2020-2021:

• Chemotherapy – according to the recommendations, people who have completed chemotherapy can get vaccinated, but only after a minimum of 4 weeks;
• Targeted therapy or immunotherapy – people who have completed treatment can proceed to vaccination immediately after the end of therapy, as long as they have not experienced side effects;
• Radiotherapy – vaccination can be started immediately after the end of therapy.

Vaccination guidelines for people under treatment:

• Chemotherapy – vaccination can be started between the 3rd and 7th day after the administration of a cycle;
• Targeted therapy or immunotherapy – vaccination can be started regardless of the phase of therapy, however, it is recommended that vaccination should not be performed immediately before the next cycle;
• Radiotherapy – vaccination can be started during treatment, provided that there is no myelosuppression, i.e. a decrease in the number of bone marrow cells.

For more information, see: What is the impact of the pandemic on cancer incidence?

MMR vaccine

The MMR vaccine is a vaccine that contains strains of three viruses: measles, mumps, and rubella. It consists of active viruses, therefore – according to the recommendations of the American Cancer Society - people with reduced immunity should not be vaccinated. However, it can be subjected to people living with an oncological patient, which will significantly reduce the risk of infection. In some cases, doctors recommend vaccination before starting cancer treatment. If there is a risk of contracting the virus as a result of contact with a sick person, immediately contact the attending physician.

Chickenpox and shingles

The chickenpox vaccine is intended for people who have never had this disease. Due to the presence of a live antigen, it should not be administered to people with reduced immunity, people suffering from leukemia, cancer of the bone marrow and lymphatic system. In addition, in the event of contact with the carrier of the disease, immediate contact with the attending physician is necessary. In order to reduce the risk of disease to the possible minimum, it is also recommended that persons accompanying an oncology patient undergo vaccination. On the other hand, the shingles vaccine, is recommended for people who already had chickenpox. These diseases are closely related. Firstly, they are caused by the same virus, and secondly, you can get shingles only after getting over the chickenpox. The vaccine can prevent severe symptoms and complications from shingles.

Pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccine

Pneumococcal disease is one of the most common causes of pneumonia – in immunocompromised people, the mortality rate is approximately 20%. The pneumococcal vaccine is for people with a weakened immune system, and its administration can protect not only against severe pneumonia, but also many other diseases. On the other hand, the meningococcal vaccine is designed to protect the body against a disease that can lead to meningitis and, in the worst cases, even death.

Contact a doctor

The vaccination procedure should be consulted with the attending physician, who will be able to determine whether the vaccine is appropriate – it will not adversely affect your health and will not cause complications.