Challenges and Opportunities for COVID-19 Vaccines in Patients with Cancer

Abstract

Given the rapidly expanding global spread of the SARS-Co-V-2 virus and the expanding number of individuals with the serious and potentially fatal illness, COVID-19, there is an urgent need for safe and effective vaccines. Based on compelling evidence that patients with cancer are at increased risk for greater morbidity and mortality with COVID-19, several professional organizations have provided early guidance on the role of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with malignant disease. In this commentary we review the available data on the efficacy and safety of the approved and forthcoming vaccines in patients with cancer. Based on a review of the totality of available evidence, we recommend that most patients with cancer should receive the recommended dose and schedule of one of the COVID-19 vaccines when available. We encourage industry, regulators and professional research organizations to carefully track the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccination in patients with cancer in the real world setting and routinely report unanticipated adverse events and signs of loss of efficacy. Particular attention is needed for patients on active cancer therapy to carefully evaluate efficacy and safety in relationship to the timing of vaccination relative to that of active cancer treatment and immunosuppression.

Keywords:

• Neoplasms
• COVID-19
• SARS-CoV-2
• vaccine

Disclosure statement

N.M.K. has consulted for Beyond Spring, Bristol-Myers Squibb, G1 Therapeutics, Invitae, Janssen and Spectrum, outside the submitted work.

J.A.H. received research funding from Gilead Sciences. Additional funding unrelated to this work include research funding from Takeda, Allovir, and Karius, and consulting fees from Gilead Sciences, Amplyx, Allovir, Allogene therapeutics, CRISPR therapeutics, and Takeda and

P.A.C. has received no funding or consulting fees relevant to this work.

G.H.L. reports research grant support from Amgen to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and has consulted for Beyond Spring, G1 Therapeutics, Samsung Bioepis, and TEVA, outside the submitted work.