1. Low booster uptake in cancer patients despite health benefits
- Author
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Jane C. Figueiredo, Julia Levy, So Yung Choi, Alexander M. Xu, Noah M. Merin, Omid Hamid, Tucker Lemos, Nathalie Nguyen, Maimoona Nadri, Alma Gonzalez, Simeon Mahov, Justin M. Darrah, Jun Gong, Ronald L. Paquette, Alain C. Mita, Robert A. Vescio, Sarah J. Salvy, Inderjit Mehmi, Andrew E. Hendifar, Ronald Natale, Warren G. Tourtellotte, V. Krishnan Ramanujan, Carissa A. Huynh, Kimia Sobhani, Karen L. Reckamp, and Akil A. Merchant
- Subjects
Disease ,Patient social context ,Immunity ,Cancer ,Science - Abstract
Summary: Patients with cancer are at increased risk of death from COVID-19 and have reduced immune responses to SARS-CoV2 vaccines, necessitating regular boosters. We performed comprehensive chart reviews, surveys of patients attitudes, serology for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and T cell receptor (TCR) β sequencing for cellular responses on a cohort of 982 cancer patients receiving active cancer therapy accrued between November-3-2020 and Mar-31-2023. We found that 92 · 3% of patients received the primer vaccine, 70 · 8% received one monovalent booster, but only 30 · 1% received a bivalent booster. Booster uptake was lower under age 50, and among African American or Hispanic patients. Nearly all patients seroconverted after 2+ booster vaccinations (>99%) and improved cellular responses, demonstrating that repeated boosters could overcome poor response to vaccination. Receipt of booster vaccinations was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0 · 61, p = 0 · 024). Booster uptake in high-risk cancer patients remains low and strategies to encourage booster uptake are needed.
- Published
- 2024
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