Vaccination status

Good morning, my partner was never asked questions about vaccinations and completed chemo 1.5 months ago. I asked the nurse if it is a good idea for him to have the flu vaccine and she agreed, but he couldn't find anywhere to do it in May...I don't believe vaccination status will impact his treatment options because this is his personal choice and he understands the potential consequences of not having them. Good luck with his treatment:)

I would concentrate on the fact that you seem to be saying that chemo is ok for him to have. That will be the biggest issue as the treatment is the main choice.

As for the vaccine worries, I’ve not been asked for a history of my vaccines in connection with cancer treatment. That’s my two penneth.

Good luck

Hi ansteynomad we are all entitled to our own opinions.  Chemo will impact the bodies natural ability to fight off infection.  In my own case, my neutrophils were so low I got pneumonia.  I certainly wouldn’t want to go into chemo unprotected from illnesses that are quite prevalent at present.  The other option is to isolate for 18+ weeks.

DH's initial bloods back in April showed non anaemic iron deficiency and low neutrophils anyway, so I'm not sure he's in particularly good shape before we start.

Chemo is obviously an option, but we have no clue what he is likely to be offered in terms of treatment options. All we have been told so far is that IF they offer him radiotherapy,  he will need a small op first.

When I went to have my flu vaccine, I was making conversation with the person giving the shot (hereinafter referred to as the stabber) about the Covid vaccine, bemoaning the fact that I couldn't have it, and was advised that I could have it if I was immuno-compromised.

 I said I had prostate cancer and the stabber said you are immuno-compromised and wham, I was stabbed. 

So, one person with some kind of knowledge believes me to be immuno-compromised.

The problem here, though, is that some of the treatments increase risk. Chemo doesn't just compromise your immune system, it drags it down a dark alley and gives it a good kicking.

I understand that some people will not have vaccines. It puzzles me, but they have  choice. 

If someone chooses not to have a vaccine in our circumstances and understands and assents to the risks inherent in the choice, then that is ok. 

Chemo carries that kind of risk. 

I had chemo 11 years ago and again last year (different cancers, so different chemos) and was never asked about vaccination status.

Hi mstev2, out of curiosity when did your chemo finish? My 6th session was last November and when I went for the spring booster in March I was told I wasn't eligible. This was at a vaccination centre that the 6 GP surgeries in town set up for vaccinations, eventually after me insisting that they contact my oncologist there and then they agreed I could have it as my chemo had finished within 6 months. 

Fast forward to the current COVID vaccination I decided I wasn't going through that nonsense again so booked in at a local pharmacy and told a small fib saying I had just recently finished chemo, the pharmacist didn't ask when and administered it without further questions. When I have my 6 monthly review in December I shall make a note to ask my oncologist his views on it

That's the thing. I did not have Chemo.

I had radiotherapy 6 months ago. 

The thing is that quite a lot of the therapies cam affect your level of immune response.

I had been advised before my radiotherapy to keep myself fairly isolated and to wear masks, because the radiotherapy would compromise my immune system. I know that it can increase or worsen existing inflammation, and muck about (technical phrase there!) with white cell count, so I took it seriously and did as I was told.

One of the hospital team told me that I was given this warning because they didn't want me to catch something from my grand children and mess about with their carefully laid plan.

When I was in the vaccination room it seemed to be the word cancer that set them off, rather than prostate.

I suspect, with little in the way of reference material, that we must all consider ourselves partially immuno-suppressed by simply being treated for cancer.

Chemo is a whole different animal. There is a friend of mine who had chemo for ovarian cancer and she was sequestered throughout the chemo period and for some time after. She could see her husband and two daughters, and her only trip out was to get the next round. This was after all the vaccinations they had available.

Her own precaution was to not leave the property until she had hair - both for illness prevention and for vanity purposes.

I am pretty strongly pro-vaccination, so I guess I am biased.