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Lung Cancer and Vaccines for Covid-19
Lung Cancer | Last Active: Dec 18, 2020 | Replies (21)Comment receiving replies
Hello All! I have a question for everyone's input. I will also be posing these questions to my doctors and my husbands. My husband is in treatment now for Stage IV Lung Cancer. He has received radiation and full chemo and is now on 'maintenance therapy' of one chemo drug, Alimpta and immunotherapy, Keytruda. I am his sole caretaker and I got the flu vaccine and my DPT vaccine update a few months ago but the doctors said my husband shouldn't get his vaccines (the same ones were due). What about the Covid vaccine for him? I will get the Covid Vaccine if I am able (I have severe allergies, figures right?) but if he can't and if I can't, we're left just as vulnerable as ever. I don't even let my poor husband leave the house except for his treatments at this point. Does immunotherapy and chemo mean no vaccines? Hugs
Replies to "Hello All! I have a question for everyone's input. I will also be posing these questions..."
@cindylb- Hi Cindy. You are right that you will be vulnerable if neither of you can get the new vaccine. I think that there will be some people who won't be able to get it because trials for the vaccine didn't cover every possible scenario. I'm sure that further testing will continue so that everyone will be covered. However, if your husband's doctor has said no there has to be an explanation. You need to ask him/her why.
Perhaps some immunotherapies or chemos will interfere with this new vaccine or that doctors just don't know if they will.
Please make lists to bring to the doctor with questions. You need to know the answer to why for everything!
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@cindylb, those are really important questions to ask your doctors. The final word about whether someone should get the COVID vaccine will come from the team that is caring for you and for your husband, like @richcolleen did.
Mayo Clinic recently released this general information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine
– COVID-19 Vaccine https://mcforms.mayo.edu/mc3100-mc3199/mc3127-72.pdf
General information is fantastic to have, but every patient is unique and should rely on specific information from their current doctor. Also note – the information regarding COVID changes by the hour as the experts learn more about this virus. Something published today could be out of date tomorrow.
What's also important is that we all continue to follow safe practices even with the vaccine for a little while longer: masks, physical distance and diligent hand washing.