Vaccinations - Flu and Covid

Hi LadyJayne,

I am having seasonal flu and Covid vaccinations. I would note that a stem cell transplant causes the patient to have the immune system of a newborn baby, so you would have zero immunity from past flu of Covid infections. Also, your lymphocytes, which are a key part of your protection from viruses, are likely to be very low after a stem cell transplant. 

In short, although I am not a medical professional, I suggest getting the vaccinations.

I asked Google Gemini about the risks of you not having a Covid vaccine:

"Without a COVID-19 vaccine, the main risks revolve around how severely your body reacts to the virus rather than whether you will encounter it.

​Because post-transplant recovery and low lymphocyte levels (lymphopenia) leave the immune system without its full viral defense team, an unvaccinated person in this context faces specific clinical risks:

​Higher Risk of Severe Illness and Hospitalization

• ​Lack of Immunologic Memory: Vaccines train T-cells and B-cells (lymphocytes) to recognize the virus's spike protein without causing disease. Without this baseline training, an initial exposure requires the immune system to build a defense from scratch—a process that takes days or weeks that a compromised immune system doesn't have.
• • ​Unvaccinated individuals who contract COVID-19 have a higher statistical risk of developing "Long COVID"—persistent symptoms like chronic fatigue, brain fog, and lingering cardiovascular or respiratory issues that can last for months or years.​Severe Lower Respiratory Infections: Unvaccinated individuals are significantly more likely to develop severe viral pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), or require mechanical ventilation.
    • Secondary Bacterial Infections: Severe viral damage to lung tissue creates an environment where bacterial pneumonia can easily take hold—a danger that is compounded if neutrophil levels are also low.

    ​Higher Risk of Complications for Transplant Patients

    • • ​Organ Stress and Rejection Risk: A severe viral infection causes systemic inflammation throughout the body. In transplant recipients, this intense inflammatory response can strain organs
      •  
        • ​Higher Mortality Rate: Clinical data shows that immunocompromised and transplant patients who are unvaccinated have substantially higher mortality rates from COVID-19 compared to those who are vaccinated, even if the vaccine produces a somewhat muted response in immunosuppressed bodies.

        ​Increased Chance of Long COVID

        ​Treatment Delays: Catching a severe case of COVID-19 often requires pausing or adjusting necessary immunosuppressive or post-transplant medications, which carries its own medical risks.
      • Higher Mortality Rate: Clinical data shows that immunocompromised and transplant patients who are unvaccinated have substantially higher mortality rates from COVID-19 compared to those who are vaccinated, even if the vaccine produces a somewhat muted response in immunosuppressed bodies.

    ​Increased Chance of Long COVID

    • • ​Unvaccinated individuals who contract COVID-19 have a higher statistical risk of developing "Long COVID"—persistent symptoms like chronic fatigue, brain fog, and lingering cardiovascular or respiratory issues that can last for months or years."

(Sorry - the format went a bit wrong)

Hi Chicken2

Thank you.

Yes it definitely makes sense, I will go ahead and have them.

Jayne

Hi LadyJane my husband also has Myeloma and has his flu jab and Covid jabs in October each year .  I’m pleased to report so far over the last 3 years since stem cell transplant that he hasnt  suffered any unpleasant side effects must admit he books his covid and flu jabs separately 2 weeks apart just in case one of them makes him feel grotty .    I know lots of people seemed to report that Covid jab makes you feel unwell but that hasn’t been our experience ( I pay to get Covid jab in October to try and protect him )  but no one tells you how ill people with low or no immunity can become it can still kill you  and unless you lock yourself in a room all winter it’s virtually impossible not to come into contact with these viruses .

It is a very personal choice and I totally respect people that decide not to have it and yes probably most us healthy people will recover with little less than a cold but we’ve not had our immune system taken out totally why take that risk .  

Best Wishes 

Hi Kent Lass

Thank you for your response, it is appreciated.

Thats a good suggestion having them apart. I’ll do the same.

Our local council put out an alert that the vaccines were available from October (unless you are pregnant and then it’s from 1 September). I booked, but it’s not my GP or my usual pharmacy. I will ask when they are commencing and maybe change to the place and people I am familiar with.

I do agree with your comment about being virtually impossible to avoid these viruses. After all even a routine visit to the hospital, you are unknowingly exposed to all sorts of bugs. 

We do want to live our lives, don’t we.

Regards

Jayne

Jayne I don’t know if it’s helpful but we book our flu jabs with our local boots and my husband goes onto the government booking Covid jab site and from there he chooses where he want to get his Covid done 

Hi Jayne, I had my sct 4 years ago and caught the flu during the winter and ended up in intensive care for 12 days even though I'd had both vaccines. Since then I always have my flu jab but not COVID. I'm extra careful during the winter months.

I guess it's a personal choice but I'd also like to add I caught COVID in 25 and it was no more than a mild cold so I guess it's down to personal choice.

All the best John 

Thank you Kent Lass.

I have been onto the site, as suggested.

My GP also sent an invite yesterday, to book the Flu Jab, and that’s now done.

Regards

Jayne

Hi John

Thank you for your reply, it is appreciated.

Flu jab booked and going to purchase masks for hospital visits etc.

Hope you have a virus free winter

Regards

Jayne