Cancer patients too can take COVID-19 vaccine, say doctors

Cancer patients too can take Covid19 vaccine but under medical supervision cancer specialists said ahead of the World Cancer Day on February 4Though few patients with cancer were included in the vaccine trials they said that going by various studies vaccines look safe for cancer patientsAt a time when several countries including India have started the Covid vaccination drive cancer patients one of the vulnerable groups are waiting to hear if they can also take the jabDoctors said that this can be done only with safe and effective vaccines along with the coordinated global vaccination programmeOf more than 200 vaccines being developed across the world three are being indigenously produced in India Though all these vaccines are aimed at providing immunity against the SARSCoV2 infection the presentation of antigens to the host for the development of antibodies relies on various technologies or platformsThe efficacy of Covid19 vaccines can also vary in patients with distinct contexts of malignant disease tumour type disease extent intrinsic or therapyinduced immune suppression According to doctors benefits of vaccination seem to outweigh the risksThe efficacy and duration of immunity in patients with cancer are still unknown and unexplored Given the oftenimmune compromised status and the frailty of cancer patients it is suggested to monitor in the context of registries and dedicated clinical trials Close surveillance and monitoring of patients with cancer is required after Covid19 vaccination to assess the potential adverse events and measure clinical outcomes like infection severity and mortality from Covid19 complications from cancer etc Ajay Chanakya Vallabhaneni Consultant Surgical Oncologist and Robotic Surgeon KIMS Hospitals told IANSPatients with cancer are particularly vulnerable to Covid19 because of the immune compromising nature of cancer treatment On top of that progressing cancer itself depletes the immune system and leaves patients susceptible to infection Admittedly very few patients with active cancer or in active therapy were included in the trials But assessment of studies available on vaccines these look remarkably safe for cancer patients too said Revanth Gangasani Reddy Consultant Surgical Oncology Aware Global HospitalsAccording to AVS Suresh Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist and Haematologist Continental Hospitals although evidence regarding vaccination in patients with cancer is limited there is enough proof to support antiinfective vaccination in general excluding liveattenuated vaccines and replicationcompetent vector vaccines even in patients with cancer undergoing immunosuppressive therapy Most traditional vaccines contain dead or disabled viruses which are incapacitated to cause disease while provoking an immune response against the virusCancer cells progressing in a human body weakens the immune system and makes the patient vulnerable to infections like the Covid19 virus People living with HIV too have low CD4 count and high viral load are at high risk of infection It is important that people with cancer and HIV are given priority and are vaccinated at the earliest The government and the healthcare mechanisms should create a system where Covid19 vaccine is administered on such highly susceptible cases on an urgent basis said D Sridhar Consultant Surgical Oncology SLG HospitalsThe doctors are of the view that the timing of vaccination depends on individual therapy scenarios and may ideally occur before systemic therapy starts But if the patient has already started systemic therapy it is reasonable to vaccinate himher during therapyPhysical distancing measures masks face shields sanitisers and other hygiene measures are still required during the pandemic including for patients with cancer and should certainly accompany the vaccination strategiesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever