COVID vaccine recommended for cancer patients
Cancer is well-known to cause issues with patients’ immune systems, leading to struggles with even minor diseases.
That’s why Dr. J. Craig Box, a surgeon at AdventHealth Gordon, recommends vaccinations for cancer patients.
“It is strongly encouraged in the cancer care profession that patients get all of their vaccines, including COVID and influenza vaccines,” said Dr. Box.
Cancer patients fall into a high risk category. This means that not only should they be fully vaccinated with the most-effective vaccine available, but also receive a booster dose of that vaccine after six to eight months.
“You’re in a high risk group,” Dr. Box said. “You really need to do all the precautions you can to mitigate the risk of catching COVID and, if you do get COVID, to make it the least-bad event you can make it. Really, that involves getting vaccinated, including boosters.”
Dr. Box noted that, anecdotally, cancer patients tend to show less vaccine hesitancy.
They form a unique partnership with their care team, and may tend to be more likely to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Though cancer patients and other groups such as obese people, smokers, and diabetics may be at higher risk of serious illness or death from COVID-19, Dr. Box warned that COVID can be unpredictable.
“Even healthy athletic nonsmokers, nondiabetics — some of those get the really bad version of COVID and die,” said Dr. Box.
That’s why it’s important for everyone to get vaccinated. It’s not just for the safety of the individual getting vaccinated, according to Dr. Box, but for the safety of the community.
“If you really care about your neighbor,” Dr. Box said, “these are the responsibilities in life we take on.”
According to Dr. Box, the COVID vaccine is just another vaccine to add to the long list that everyone gets. To him, it’s no different than MMR, pertussis, tetanus, polio, smallpox — any number of lifesaving vaccines.
“It’s just another vaccine that’s necessary for individual health and societal public health,” said Dr. Box. “And then we all get on with our lives.”