To Jab or Not to Jab? Answers for Questions About the COVID-19 Vaccine During Cancer Treatment

Now that vaccines are readily available and in plentiful supply for ages 12 and up, cancer patients are more likely to be faced with becoming vaccinated and how vaccination might impact their cancer treatment. While no hard data exists specific to cancer patients, there is a lot of guidance available from reputable outlets, both for patients and their treatment teams, about how and when it is safest to get the vaccine.

The best news about all three of the COVID vaccines available in the US (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) is that none of them rely on the use of live viruses, a factor that prevents other vaccines for different ailments from being administered to those with cancer. The American Cancer Society has detailed how each of the vaccines function and the technology involved in how they work within the body. Understanding how these vaccines work and protect is a great way to feel empowered in approaching living with cancer in these challenging times.

All the data collected to study the safety of the COVID vaccines was done on healthy individuals, so it is still unclear how being a cancer patient and having a weakened or fragile immune system from cancer treatment impacts the effectiveness of the vaccine. Researchers do know that having cancer puts someone at greater risk for morbidity or mortality related to COVID-19. It is known and accepted that cancer patients are more likely to become severely sick or die if diagnosed with COVID-19. Because of that, respected institutions like the American Cancer Society, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network all agree that any possible risk for cancer patients in getting vaccinated is less than their risk for not being vaccinated.

With that in mind, the most important thing a cancer patient can and should do is speak with their treatment team about vaccine safety and how and when they can be vaccinated. “Go to your doctor with all your vaccine questions. They want to help you feel at ease if you are at all hesitant to receive the vaccine. If you are in active treatment, your doctor will help you strategize about vaccine timing and how it may impact your treatments,” says Srilata Gundala, MD, a hematologist/oncologist and the founder of Hope & Healing Care Centers in Lombard and Hinsdale, Illinois.  

The takeaway every cancer patient should know when considering vaccination for COVID-19 is that even if having a weakened or fragile immune system means that the vaccine may not work as effectively as in someone not being treated for cancer, experts agree that some protection is better than no protection. Despite all the uncertainty and unknowns, experts feel strongly about that. Because experts do not always agree, it is significant when they do.

So, roll those sleeves up, with confidence, but continue to practice all the recommended practices for staying safe in a pandemic – continue to wear a mask, stay socially distanced when indoors, and wash your hands frequently, especially when coming indoors after being outside or around others. 

Written By: Sheila Quirke, MSW

Reviewed By: Srilata Gundala, MD