What a Cancer Patient Needs to Know About the COVID-19 Vaccine
- Studies show the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, about 95%, with no increased risks to cancer patients.
- A cancer patient should consider getting either of the two approved vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna), as long as they are feeling well. It is recommended that patients who have had a stem cell transplant wait at least one month before getting the vaccine.
- The COVID vaccine can still offer some protection even when mutations of the virus occur.
1. Is the vaccine effective?
“The two approved coronavirus vaccines are 95% effective. These vaccines work. They work in preventing symptomatic COVID and they also work really well in preventing severe COVID. There is a concern that the vaccines may not be that effective, but again, 70% effective is better than 0% effective,” Dr. Rajkumar says. “The flu vaccine is actually not as effective as the coronavirus vaccines that we have released. In general, flu vaccines work 60-70% of the time each year and it varies depending on the year.”
2. Is it safe for a cancer patient?
Read More3. When should I get it if I am a cancer patient?
“As long as you are feeling well, just go ahead with the vaccine whenever it’s offered to you. Sometimes even on the same day if you are going to the clinic to get a small dose of chemotherapy and they’re giving the vaccine, just get it, there’s really no major problem,” Dr. Rajkumar says. “The only people for whom we are saying to delay by a month or two are patients who have had a stem cell transplant because we have wiped out everything. And so you want to wait until some of the recovery happens so when you give the vaccine, they have an immune response.”4. Will getting the vaccine give me COVID?
The COVID-19 vaccine cannot and will not give you COVID-19. “The vaccines that have been approved in the U.S. right now are both mRNA vaccines. They do not contain the virus so there’s no way anyone can get COVID from the mRNA vaccines,” Dr. Rajkumar says.5. Should I be concerned about mutant strains?
“These mutations occur because there are a lot of hosts who are getting COVID and the way to reduce the number of mutations is if we can increase the number of vaccinated people. The solution is always vaccines, vaccines, vaccines. You want to get as many people around the world vaccinated so that there aren’t enough hosts for the virus to mutate,” Dr. Rajkumar explains. He is optimistic that the vaccine will be effective against these mutated strains. “Even if there is a mutation in one part of the virus, unless there’s huge changes, there will be some antibodies that are still reactive and they protect you. And so even with mutations, I’m still confident that most of the vaccines that we have right now are going to be almost as effective.”
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