Published Dec 18, 2023

Urgent CDC Warning— Flu, Covid, and RSV Vaccination Rates Dangerously Low, Heightening Risk For Cancer Patients Across U.S.

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Flu, Covid, & RSV Vaccines

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning to healthcare providers of low vaccination rates against the flu, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) across the nation.
According to the CDC’s findings, in the past four weeks, there has been a 200% increase in hospitalizations among all age groups for the flu, a 60% rise for RSV, and a 51% jump for Covid-19.
People who have undergone cancer treatment, or are currently in treatment, need to pay particular attention to the risks from respiratory infections.
Due to the low vaccination rates, people across the U.S. are at a heightened risk of severe illness and hospitalization.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued the Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory last week to warn healthcare providers of low vaccination rates against the flu, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) across the nation— which leaves people across the U.S. at a heightened risk of severe illness and hospitalization, and presents particular risks for immunocompromsied cancer patients.

“Low vaccination rates, coupled with ongoing increases in national and international respiratory disease activity caused by multiple pathogens, including influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), and RSV, could lead to more severe disease and increased healthcare capacity strain in the coming weeks,” the CDC explained.

“In addition, a recent increase in cases of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) following SARS-CoV-2 infection in the United States has been reported Healthcare providers should administer influenza, COVID-19, and RSV immunizations now to patients, if recommended. Healthcare providers should recommend antiviral medications for influenza and COVID-19 for all eligible patients, especially patients at high-risk of progression to severe disease such as older adults and people with certain underlying medical conditions.”

The CDC also recommends healthcare providers “counsel patients about testing and other preventive measures, including covering coughs/sneezes, staying at home when sick, improving ventilation at home or work, and washing hands to protect themselves and others against respiratory diseases.”

A significant increase in respiratory disease activity has been found in the southern U.S. states, as the Northern states are also seeing increased activity, as per the CDC, which is continues to track the rise in respiratory disease across the country.

The CDC says it’s keeping track of “several respiratory pathogens, including influenza viruses, SARS-CoV-2, and RSV, across multiple indicators such as laboratory test positivity, emergency department visits, wastewater, and hospitalizations.”

According to the CDC’s findings, in the past four weeks, there has been a 200% increase in hospitalizations among all age groups for the flu, a 60% rise for RSV, and a 51% jump for Covid-19.

“Pediatric emergency department visits for pneumonia due to multiple etiologies” have also increase in children over the past few months, the CDC notes.

A total of 12 pediatric flu deaths have been reported to date amid the 2023-2023 seasons. Additionally, there have been 30 reports made to the CDC “of MIS-C, a rare complication that typically occurs 1 month after SARS-CoV-2 infection.” RSV activity has also increased across most areas of the U.S.

“Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV can result in severe disease, especially among unvaccinated persons,” the CDC urgently has urgently warned. “Infants, older adults, pregnant people, and people with certain underlying medical conditions remain at increased risk of severe COVID-19 and influenza disease. Infants and older adults remain at highest risk of severe RSV disease; it is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States.”

The CDC found that as of November 18, 2023, there were 7.4 million less flue vaccine doses administered to adults in pharmacies and doctors offices when compared with the previous season.

As for the low Covid-19 vaccinations for the 2023-2024 season, the CDC found that as of December 2, 2023, “the percent of the population reporting receipt of this vaccine was 7.7% in children 6 months–17 years (including 2.8% in children 6 months–4 years), 17.2% in adults ≥18 years (including 36% in adults ≥65 years), and 9.6% in pregnant persons.”

Lastly, for the RSV vaccination, as of December 2, 2023, 15.9% of U.S. adults ages 60 and under have claimed to have gotten the RSV vaccine.

According to survey results from a sample of adults across the U.S.( via Ipsos KnowledgePanel and NORC AmeriSpeak Omnibus Surveys), the CDC says the reasons for the decrease in vaccinations include:

Lack of provider recommendation
Concerns or issues about unknown or serious side effects
Occurrence of mild side effects, and lack of time or forgetting to get vaccinated.

The CDC has also made the following recommendations for the public:

Talk to your healthcare provider about immunizations recommended for you and your household or family members, including children
If you develop symptoms of a respiratory illness, talk to your healthcare provider about testing and treatment options
Be aware of everyday prevention measures including covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands, staying home when sick, wearing a well-fitting mask if you choose to wear a mask, and improving airflow at home or at work
Use the Vaccines.gov website to find a location to receive COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Uninsured and underinsured adults can receive COVID-19 vaccines at no cost to them through CDC’s Bridge Access Program
Pregnant people and older adults can use the manufacturer’s website (Pfizervax.com) to find a location offering Pfizer Abrysvo RSV vaccine

According to CNN, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said at a briefing with the American Medical Association last week, “We are seeing too few folks get vaccinated this season. The voice of the physician matters so much in whether or not folks decide to get vaccinated.”

Dr. Cohen added, “About 70 to 80% of American adults over the age of 18 have at least one condition that puts them at higher risk of a bad outcome.

“Getting vaccinated decreases your risk of hospitalization and death at every age, including 18 to 64, but it also decreases your risk of long Covid.”

Learning about the COVID-19 Vaccine

People who are fully vaccinated have lower risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccines are still widely available for everyone 6 months and older, and the CDC recommends that everyone stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines for their age group.

It’s important to note that people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, which includes people who have been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood, have different recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines, including boosters.

Below are the four approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccines in the United States:

Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are mRNA vaccines.
Novavax COVID-19 vaccine is a protein subunit vaccine.
Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine is a viral vector vaccine and can be given in some situations. (However, the CDC recommends that this particular vaccine only be considered in certain situations, due to safety concerns).

In addition, two COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, Pfizer and Moderna, have developed updated (bivalent) COVID-19 boosters. These updated (bivalent) boosters protect against both the original virus that causes COVID-19 and the Omicron variant BA.4 and BA.5. Previous boosters are called “monovalent” because they were designed to protect against the original virus that causes COVID-19. They also provide some protection against Omicron, but not as much as the updated (bivalent) boosters.

The CDC recommends that people ages 12 years and older receive one updated (bivalent) booster if it has been at least 2 months since their last COVID-19 vaccine dose, whether that was their final primary series dose or an original (monovalent) booster. In addition, people who have had more than one original (monovalent) booster are also recommended to get an updated (bivalent) booster.

Below are some things you should know about cancer survivors and Covid-19:

People living with cancer, particularly blood cancer, do have a higher risk of developing severe Covid-19. A weakened immune system (being immunocompromised), older age and other medical conditions also put people more at risk. Patients with blood cancer may be more at risk because they often have abnormal or low levels of immune cells that fight viruses.
In addition, cancer survivors who are taking medicine to suppress the immune system, who have had an organ transplant, who had a stem-cell transplant within the last two years or cancer survivors who are taking high-dose corticosteroids or other immune-suppressing drugs are also more vulnerable to Covid-19 infections despite vaccination status.
There are situations where a doctor may recommend a cancer patient wait to get a vaccine or booster.
- If they’ve just had Covid-19. “Many of our patients are getting infected with the new variant,” Dr. John Greene, chair of Moffitt Cancer Center’s Infectious Disease Program, previously told SurvivorNet. “And that immunity will give them protection from reinfection for at least 90 days. So after the 90 days are up, they can get a booster.”
- When a patient’s immune system has been so severely affected by treatment that it would simply not be beneficial to get them the vaccine “because their chance of mounting an immune response is zero to 20 percent,” Dr. Greene said.

What Should Blood Cancer Patients Do After They Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

Overall, the recommendation is for cancer survivors to get their Covid-19 vaccines. But if you have any questions about your Covid-19 risk level, the appropriate timing for your vaccination or anything else Covid-19 please consult your doctor and cancer care team.

In addition, remember that when people who are able to get the Covid-19 vaccine do so, they are not only protecting themselves but also protecting immunocompromised people who are not able to get a vaccine or the booster at this time.

COVID-19 Has Changed Surgery and Hospital Protocols for Cancer Patients

The Importance of Getting a Second Opinion

After receiving a cancer diagnosis, it’s important to remember that you can, and should, talk to other cancer specialists about your disease. Additionally, its also a good idea to speak with your doctor on what types of vaccines you should get for your overall health, as prevention key.

“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care,” National Cancer Institute Chief of Surgery Steven Rosenberg told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. “Because finding a doctor who is up to the latest of information is important.”

As we highlight in several areas of SurvivorNet, highly respected doctors sometimes disagree on the right course of treatment, and advances in genetics and immunotherapy are creating new options.

Also, in some instances the specific course of treatment is not clear cut. That’s even more reason why understanding the potential approaches to your disease is crucial.

At the National Cancer Institute, there is a patient referral service that will “guide patients to the right group depending on their disease state so that they can gain access to these new experimental treatments,” Rosenberg says.

Cancer Research Legend Urges Patients to Get Multiple Opinions

Furthermore, getting another opinion may also help you avoid doctor biases. For example, some surgeons own radiation treatment centers. “So there may be a conflict of interest if you present to a surgeon that is recommending radiation because there is some ownership of that type of facility,” Dr. Jim Hu, director of robotic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells SurvivorNet.

Other reasons to get a second opinion include:

To see a doctor who has more experience treating your type of cancer
You have a rare type of cancer
There are several ways to treat your cancer
You feel like your doctor isn’t listening to you, or isn’t giving you good advice
You have trouble understanding your doctor
You don’t like the treatment your doctor is recommending, or you’re worried about its possible side effects
Your insurance company wants you to get another medical opinion
Your cancer isn’t improving on your current treatment

Be Pushy, Be Your Own Advocate, Says Leading Expert

Bottom line, being proactive about your health could be a matter of life or death. Learn as much as you can from as many experts as you can, so that you know that you did your best to take control of your health.