Cancer patients treated with immunotherapy can safely receive mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, according to JNCCN study

Researchers find people undergoing treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors who receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine are not at any greater risk of side effects from the vaccine or the immunotherapy.

LABline

Oct. 17, 2022

New research published in the October 2022 issue of JNCCN—Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network confirms the safety of mRNA vaccines in people with cancer undergoing immunotherapy treatment.

The researchers analyzed the frequency of side effects (also referred to as immune-related adverse events, or irAEs) in 408 patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy between January 16 and March 27, 2021. They found no increase in type, frequency, or severity of side effects from those receiving both immunotherapy and the vaccine at the same time.

NCCN release