Views

Vaccines For Cancer Patients

29/1/21

Following being contacted by a number of my constituents who have sadly recently been diagnosed with cancer about their vaccine priority group I have been investigating this serious matter.

The constituents who contacted me were in priority group 5 or lower and I believed they should be in the higher priority group 4, as extremely clinically vulnerable individuals due to their diagnosis and treatment. The CCG agreed with me and I am pleased, that following clinical decision making, the constituents who contacted me have now had their vaccine.

However, this has left me very worried about which vaccine group constituents with a recent cancer diagnosis or undergoing treatment, that haven’t contacted me are in. I am told that their groupings are being adjusted to reflect that they should be in group 4 and I have seen the guidance supplied to GP Practices but I wanted to share the below information with you so that local people with cancer do check, if in doubt, about their priority group.

Priority group four who are currently being invited for their vaccination includes patients who are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV). Specifically for cancer the conditions listed below will place a patient into group 4. If in doubt please contact your GP in the first instance and ask that they confirm your priority cohort based on the most up to date clinical information about you.

If after contacting your GP you still have questions then please contact the CCG Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) either via their freephone number: 0800 218 2333 or email: mlcsu.customercarelancashire@nhs.net

People with specific cancers are included in Group 4 for the COVID vaccination and include:

People with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy (or who have been told the date that they will start active chemotherapy).

People with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy (or who have been told the date that they will undergo radical radiotherapy).

People with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment.

People having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer.

People having other targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors.

People who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants.