Brandon Hayman
For the past year, the pandemic has felt out of our control, and in many ways, that’s true. However, COVID-19 vaccines bring new hope and opportunity for us all to do our part to slow the spread of the virus. As vaccines continue to become available, it’s important to understand how they work, why they’re safe for current cancer patients and survivors, and what to expect at your vaccination appointment.
How COVID-19 vaccines work
As of spring 2021, there are three COVID-19 vaccines approved under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) emergency use authorization. Here’s what you should know.
- The technologies and techniques used in the COVID-19 vaccines have been studied by scientists and researchers for decades.
- The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines use the body’s own immune system to produce a special type of protein, called a “spike protein,” to prevent infection with COVID-19.
- The Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is different in that it uses a modified version of an adenovirus to deliver a message to our cells. That message allows the body to mount an immune response to the COVID-19 virus spike antigen. The adenovirus can’t grow inside our cells or cause illness other than flu-like symptoms.
- While you may experience side effects such as arm soreness, headache, fatigue, or mild fever, you cannot get COVID-19 from the shots.
Why COVID-19 vaccines are safe
All vaccines go through rigorous and lengthy processes, including evaluation by an independent review board, before reaching the FDA’s stringent scientific and regulatory process. For example, COVID-19 vaccines were administered to patients as part of clinical trials. If you’re a cancer patient, you may have heard about or participated in a clinical trial focused on innovative new cancer therapies or procedures. Before COVID-19 vaccines were authorized by the FDA, data from large-scale clinical trials confirmed that the benefits of the vaccines are safer than becoming infected with COVID-19. While the process was swift, no steps were skipped. The science is clear: COVID-19 vaccines are safe and recommended for most people, including patients with cancer.
What to expect when you get the COVID-19 vaccine
Every patient with cancer responds to treatment a little differently — the same is true of COVID-19 vaccines. Here’s what you should know before you’re vaccinated:
- Everyone is asked screening questions before getting the vaccine.
- For the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, two vaccine shots, given several weeks apart, are needed to provide the best protection against the virus. Both shots are given in the upper arm. The Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine is given as a single dose.
- Everyone who gets a COVID-19 vaccine is required to be monitored on-site for a minimum of 15 – 20 minutes after each shot.
- If you have a history of allergic reactions after getting shots, contact your primary care physician to discuss whether the vaccine is safe for you.
- You will receive a vaccine card. Keep it in a safe place for your records and, if you’re a cancer patient, share a copy with your oncologist.
- Patients with cancer should talk to their physician before getting the vaccine. Immunocompromised patients may have a diminished response to all three vaccines.
Texas Oncology encourages patients and their families to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Talk to your physician if you are unsure about getting the vaccine based on your personal health history. It’s understandable to have questions and concerns. Your physician can provide evidence-based guidance from leading infectious disease experts and discuss whether COVID-19 vaccines are right for you. Together, we can slow the spread of COVID-19.
Sanjay Oommen, M.D., is a medical oncologist at Texas Oncology – Fort Worth Cancer Center, 500 S. Henderson St. in Fort Worth. For more information, visit texasoncology.com.
