COVID-19 Vaccination for Cancer Patients, What Oncologists and Cancer Patients Need to Know?

Abstract

As the current evidence is accumulating in support of multiple COVID-19 vaccine in general population while the final regulatory approvals are still pending, multiple vaccine candidates have already received temporary authorization for emergency use. The mRNA vaccines are new to the clinical practice and global regulators must balance the lack of medium to longer-term data on these novel mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.The inactivated vaccines have been used in cancer patients in the past with excellent safety profile and they may be theoretically the safest vaccine for cancer patients. Currently there are no formal COVID-19 vaccine trial designed specifically for cancer patients. Some of the current major trials excluded cancer patients while others did not explicitly excluded malignancies. Early reports indicate that some cancer patients were able to enroll in some of the vaccine trials, yet no clear information if these patients were on active systemic therapies or surveillance. There is a need for a dedicated COVID-19 vaccine trials for cancer patients. The UK Independent report by the “ Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation for the Priority groups for coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination” recommended “bone marrow and stem cell transplant recipients and people with specific cancers” to receive priority vaccination, without further clarification which “specific cancers” were referred to. Until further data are available, recommendations for vaccination for COVID-19 for cancer patients cannot be routinely recommended. At the current time evaluation of cancer patients who wish to consider COVID-19 vaccination should be done in the context of clinical trials, if there is no access to clinical trials; This should be addressed “case by case” basis with clear discussion about potential benefits, risks and uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 vaccination for cancer patients at the current time.