The COVID-19 pandemic, which broke out in 2021, has become a serious challenge for all humanity, especially for doctors and scientists. The world's population has not experienced such shocks since the famous Spanish flu, which claimed 17 million lives in two years. Fortunately, at the moment, scientists from different countries, including Russia, have accumulated a wealth of experience in developing vaccines. Vaccinations against the new coronavirus have been developed, tested and widely used in record time.
If you have already been vaccinated, we recommend that you read our material on how to behave as a cancer patient after vaccination.
Nowadays, universal vaccination is being carried out in Russia. You can get vaccinated in many clinics, private clinics, and mobile stations are being set up. This is an emergency measure and has been adopted in other countries. This is not usually done: trials of new drugs last on average 10 years. But the current situation forces us to act as quickly as possible. This bothers many people. Not everyone is in a hurry to get an injection, fearing that an incompletely studied vaccine could cause harm. There are especially many reasons for fears and doubts among those who have serious health problems. For example, in cancer patients. Is it possible to get vaccinated during a course of chemotherapy or radiation therapy? Isn't this dangerous? Will the vaccine work?
Features of vaccination of cancer patients
If we talk about existing vaccines, some of them can be administered to cancer patients. But it is important to consider some nuances:
- Composition of the vaccine. For example, people with cancer can be vaccinated against the flu, but only with drugs that do not contain a live virus. Otherwise, an infection may develop due to a weakened immune system. For the same reason, in particular, it is not recommended to be vaccinated against measles, rubella and mumps.
- The nature of the cancer.
- Treatment program. It is not recommended to vaccinate directly during a course of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
- State of the immune system. In many cancer patients, it is severely weakened due to cancer, side effects of treatment, and severe exhaustion. In such cases, it will not be possible to form reliable immunity, and live vaccines will only create a risk of developing infection.
Why is it still important for cancer patients to be vaccinated against certain infections? Let's look at the example of influenza and COVID-19. People with cancer have an increased risk of infection and severe infection that can be fatal. American oncologist and public health expert Gary Lyman Fr.
Contraindications to vaccination for cancer patients
According to the methodological recommendations of the Ministry of Health, vaccination against Covid with Sputnik V is recommended for all patients with cancer who have completed a course of antitumor treatment, regardless of its stage.
If the patient plans to begin a course of radiation or chemotherapy, then vaccination should be carried out two to three weeks before it begins. And those who are treated with endocrine therapy and do not have signs of hematological toxicity (decrease in hemoglobin levels, neutropenia and thrombocytopenia) can be vaccinated without any restrictions, the ministry noted. Yulia Mikheeva, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head of the Oncology Department of the Clinical Hospital of St. Luke, spoke about this in more detail
“If a person is undergoing hormone therapy, for example, patients with breast cancer or prostate cancer who receive an injection once a month, these patients have no contraindications for any vaccination,” she clarified.
These types of treatments usually do not cause significant side effects and do not affect blood counts, the Ministry of Health document says. Patients with oncohematological diseases are recommended to be vaccinated either before starting treatment or during the process after stabilization of the level of lymphocytes.
“Contraindications are some kind of acute allergic reactions, previously existing, or some kind of autoimmune complications that developed against the background of immunotherapy - autoimmune hepatitis, pancreatitis, some conditions that are currently acute, requiring some kind of additional treatment, then this is definitely the introduction of a vaccine can provoke an even worse allergy or aggravate the condition. Therefore, in this case, it is better to abstain,” the doctor explained.
According to Yulia Mikheeva, vaccination can be carried out outside the course period during radiation or chemotherapy. If three weeks of free time are left between procedures, then the cancer patient can and should be vaccinated.
If the patient has a newly diagnosed disease and there is time - at least two weeks - before radiation or chemotherapy, vaccination is indicated. If therapy has begun and the patient is undergoing chemotherapy, then it is better to refrain from vaccination.
“We cannot always clearly know what treatment and how the patient will tolerate it, because patients who undergo treatment suppress rapidly dividing cells, including bone marrow, and accordingly, the level of the body’s defense at this moment decreases,” explained oncologist.
If a cancer patient has a planned operation ahead, then vaccination is recommended 14 days or earlier, or after discharge from the surgical hospital. The decision about the possibility of getting vaccinated against Covid is made by the attending oncologist. Its task is to assess the state of the patient’s immunity during the vaccination period. By the way, even a large number of metastases in the body is not a contraindication to the administration of the drug against coronavirus.
Is it possible to become infected with the new coronavirus “through a vaccine”?
This possibility is excluded because the vaccines developed in Russia and the USA do not contain the live SARS-CoV-2 virus:
- In Russian clinics, patients are most often offered to be vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine, developed by the NICEM. N. F. Gamaleya. It was created using the human adenovirus vector platform - this technology has been around for a long time and is well studied. The bottom line is that the genes through which it causes the disease are removed from the adenovirus and the gene of the new coronavirus is inserted. It encodes a protein in response to which an immune response develops.
- EpiVacCorona is also a Russian vaccine, it was developed by scientists from the Novosibirsk Scientific Research Center. There are no viruses in it at all. It is prepared from peptides - fragments of viral proteins. This is an innovative technology and is considered very safe.
- Two American vaccines - Pfizer and Moderna - contain viral RNA. It penetrates cells and causes them to synthesize a viral protein that causes an immune response. There is no live virus here either.
If you still can’t get vaccinated
A certificate of medical exemption from vaccination against Covid is issued to the patient if there are contraindications. It may be valid for a certain period or permanently, depending on the reason for issuing the document.
“If a patient has temporary contraindications to vaccination against a new coronavirus infection, then a certificate is issued for a period of 30 days, followed by consultation with the specialist who issued the certificate,” the Ministry of Health document says.
Vaccination during therapy will not worsen the health condition - it may be useless. The fact is that during the process of undergoing “chemotherapy” or “radiation” immunity simply will not develop against the coronavirus. Therefore, patients with a medical outlet need to be extremely careful and not neglect safety measures: wear a mask everywhere, promptly disinfect your hands in public places. It’s better to lead a reclusive lifestyle until the virus disappears completely.
What do Western experts say?
In December 2021, experts from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) said that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been shown to be highly safe in the general population and there is no reason to believe they would be harmful to cancer patients.
Interim clinical recommendations for RNA vaccines against the new coronavirus have been published on the website of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They were last updated on January 21, 2021, and contain the following phrase:
“Immune-compromised people can get vaccinated against COVID-19 if they have no contraindications to vaccination. However, they should be informed of the unknown safety and effectiveness profile of the vaccine in immunocompromised populations, as well as the possibility of decreased immune responses and the need to continue to follow all current recommendations for protection against COVID-19.”
This also applies to people who are currently undergoing chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or stem cell transplantation. Based on a specific clinical situation, the doctor may well decide that such a patient can be vaccinated.
Experts note that due to a weakened immune system, post-vaccination immunity may be weak or not develop at all. However, it will be better than without vaccination. Vaccination, if there are no contraindications to it, really helps reduce the risk of infection and severe course of COVID-19.
Pfizer's vaccine trials have already included cancer patients, although they were a small number. However, available evidence suggests the vaccine is safe. Of course, some side effects may occur, just like in healthy people, but they are almost always mild and go away quickly. In addition to other side effects, temporary enlargement of the subcutaneous lymph nodes is possible - this was observed in 0.4% of trial participants. An oncology patient may become frightened and decide that the disease has begun to progress and a metastasis has appeared. Otherwise it is not dangerous. However, caution should be exercised in patients with lymphedema, which is swelling that occurs after removal of lymph nodes.
Cancer is not a contraindication to vaccination
Doctors are of the opinion that patients at risk should be vaccinated first. These include cancer patients - their risk of contracting Covid is quite high, as is the risk of serious complications after suffering from the disease due to constantly reduced immunity. The need to introduce an anti-coronavirus drug for cancer patients was confirmed by the chief oncologist of the Ministry of Health, General Director of the National Medical Research Center (NMRC) of Radiology of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Kaprin , reports “KP”.
“First of all, I want to emphasize: everyone needs to be vaccinated against Covid (except those who have medical contraindications). There should be no fear, much less panic. The Sputnik V vaccine, for which we are conducting research for use in cancer patients, is safe. An oncological disease in remission is not a contraindication to vaccination, but is a factor that must be treated with great attention. We are continuing research to determine the possibility of using the vaccine at different stages of treatment. But the main cohort of patients can already be vaccinated,” the expert said.
Patients with cancer who are in remission and are no different from healthy people should be vaccinated, oncologist Andrei Pylev also believes.
“ Those who are currently not receiving some kind of therapy associated with suppression of the immune system, and those patients in whom the prevalence of the tumor process does not disrupt the functioning of organs and systems, in my subjective opinion, should be vaccinated, because the risks of dying from Covid is much higher than any illusory risks from the vaccine itself,” the expert said.
Vaccination does not provoke any tumor processes, much less the diseases themselves - the drug is simply not capable of this.
How are things going with Russian vaccines?
Not long ago, the following phrase appeared in the instructions for the Russian Sputnik V vaccine:
“Due to a lack of information, vaccination may pose a risk for the following patient groups: with autoimmune diseases...; with malignant neoplasms."
This does not mean that the vaccine will harm the health of the cancer patient. There is simply no information yet about its safety for this group of people. A clinical trial is currently being planned. It is expected that 250 cancer patients will take part in it and will last 6–7 months.
A replacement for dangerous flu vaccines has been found!
It must be admitted that vaccination has made it possible to defeat many dangerous diseases. But now, as you already understand, vaccines are becoming dangerous. How to protect children from influenza and ARVI in these conditions? The main thing is to take care of your immunity. Your own natural shield will stop the attack of viruses in the autumn-winter period. Osteo-Vit will help strengthen it . It is especially useful for residents of our country, because according to the Federal Nutrition Research Center, from 23 to 97% of Russians experience a lack of vitamin D, the most severe deficiency is in the northern regions.
Children need this vitamin for two reasons. Firstly, growing bones need calcium, which cannot be absorbed at all without vitamin D. Secondly, this substance actively stimulates the immune system. As you know, a fragile child’s body is a favorite target for viruses and bacteria.
In 2008, in Japan, scientist M. Urashima and his colleagues conducted an experiment that proved the effectiveness of this remedy for the prevention of respiratory diseases. During the study, 167 schoolchildren took a vitamin D supplement. Thanks to this, the number of cases of influenza was reduced by almost 2 times.
In the Osteo-Vit , the solar vitamin is enhanced by another component – HDBA organic complex. a drone homogenate adsorbed using a special technology - a valuable natural product, which is famous for its immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, and hypoglycemic effects. Among products of organic origin, it is a recognized leader in vitamin and mineral composition.
With Osteo-Vit, you will provide the body with all the necessary substances, and most importantly, you will raise immunity to unprecedented heights without flu vaccines. After a course of taking the biocomplex, your defense system will become much stronger! This means that colds will bypass you and you will save time for more pleasant things. Be healthy!
Can people caring for cancer patients be vaccinated?
It is possible, but there is one caveat. A vaccinated person is protected, but it is unknown whether they can transmit the virus to others. If you have been vaccinated and no longer follow recommendations for protection against COVID-19, you often go to crowded places - this can be dangerous for your unvaccinated sick relative. So you will still have to wear a mask, wash your hands with soap and practice social distancing.
Euroonko doctors constantly keep their finger on the pulse. With us you can always get up-to-date information about the risks associated with COVID-19 for cancer patients, preventive measures, and vaccinations. Our clinic continues to take all necessary measures to protect patients and staff from infection. Remember: a pandemic is not a reason to stop or postpone cancer treatment.
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Reactions after vaccination in cancer patients
The reaction of each body to the introduction of a drug against covid is individual, but even in cancer patients it is no more pronounced than in other people. Both after the first and after the second vaccination you may feel unwell. The most common side effects include local reactions and flu-like symptoms. They are completely harmless and are associated with the individual characteristics of the body, its natural immunity.
Often after administration of the drug, the temperature rises, headache and fatigue appear. Post-vaccination reactions of the body may develop that do not depend on age: arthralgia, myalgia, asthenia and loss of appetite. Swelling, redness and pain may appear at the injection site, and this is also considered normal. Side effects disappear within 24 hours, maximum 48 hours, and do not require any therapeutic measures.
Can cancer patients get a flu vaccine?
The flu vaccine cannot be given to cancer patients only when the tumor is in its active growth stage. As a rule, during this period the patient is prescribed drugs that suppress the immune system, so the vaccination given will not give any result, because protective antibodies will not be produced.
People suffering from this pathology should minimize visits to places where people with influenza may be present. Their loved ones living together must protect themselves and their sick relative with a timely vaccine.
Patients with oncology can be given the following drugs:
- inactivated serums;
- subunit vaccines;
- conjugated drugs.
Live drugs are not used for vaccination of cancer patients; they can cause the development of a serious infectious process, because the immunity of such a person will be suppressed by chemical drugs.
It is advisable to vaccinate after completing a course of chemotherapy; if you wait a long time before the completion of this process, it makes sense to vaccinate during the break between the next course. This method of immunization can prevent suppression of the immune response by anti-inflammatory drugs. Typically, the flu vaccination period begins in September and ends in November, however, a person undergoing chemotherapy or other types of cancer treatment may not fit into this schedule. Such a patient is advised to strengthen preventive measures to prevent influenza infection.
When the patient is in remission, immunization is indicated for him. It must be remembered that a vaccination given immediately after the end of the chemotherapy process may cause an inadequate or insufficient immune response. Therefore, it is especially important for a cancer patient to protect himself from possible infection by observing personal hygiene measures, wearing a protective mask and avoiding crowded places of sick people.
We recommend reading: Complications of ARVI
After the patient has been vaccinated, he must take care of his own health for another 2-3 weeks after vaccination until stable immunity against influenza is formed. The body needs this period to adequately produce the required amount of antibodies.
