While not all diseases can be cured, vaccines offer a powerful way to prevent illness or make it less severe. This is especially important for people with conditions like leukemia, a type of blood cancer that compromises the immune system. For those living with leukemia, COVID-19 poses serious risks, but vaccines can provide much-needed protection.

This article will discuss the current guidance on COVID-19 vaccines for people with leukemia. We’ll cover how effective the vaccine is for those with compromised immune systems, potential risks, and how certain leukemia treatments may interact with the vaccines.

Should People With Leukemia Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) advises people with blood cancers, including leukemia, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. That’s because people with leukemia have a high risk of severe illness if they do get COVID-19.

Leukemia weakens the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off infections like COVID-19. This is also known as being immunocompromised. Treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, and stem cell transplants can further reduce immune function. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people who are immunocompromised get the COVID-19 vaccine. Getting vaccinated can help protect against severe COVID-19 complications.

The COVID-19 vaccine is designed to reduce your risk of getting infected or having severe symptoms if you do get the virus. Even if you’ve completed treatment for leukemia or are in remission, it’s still important to help protect yourself from serious illness.

Do the Vaccines Work if Your Immune System Is Suppressed?

COVID-19 vaccines work by teaching your immune system to recognize and fight the virus that causes coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2. But if you’re living with leukemia, and especially if you’re undergoing treatment, your immune system might not work as well as it would in someone without cancer. This can raise questions about how effective the vaccine will be.

In people who aren’t immunocompromised, mRNA COVID-19 vaccines help the body make antibodies, which are special proteins that help the immune system attack the virus. For people with leukemia, especially those on treatments like chemotherapy, the immune system may be weaker. This means your body might not make as many antibodies in response to the vaccine.

Studies have shown that people with blood cancers like leukemia may have a lower response to the vaccine compared to those without cancer. However, even a partial immune response is better than none, and some protection is better than no protection at all.

For this reason, your doctor might recommend additional doses to help improve your level of protection. The CDC advises that people older than 12 who have weakened immune systems should get three doses of Pfizer or Moderna, which are mRNA vaccines, or two doses of Novavax, which is a protein subunit vaccine, followed by regular booster doses.

Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for People With Leukemia?

The COVID-19 vaccine is safe for people with leukemia. Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax are all approved vaccines for COVID-19 and they do not contain live virus. This means they cannot cause COVID-19, even in people with weakened immune systems.

After getting any vaccine, it is possible that you may experience common side effects or, in rare cases, serious complications. However, people with leukemia are not more likely to experience side effects or complications than the general population.

Common Side Effects

You might experience common side effects from the vaccine, just like the general population. These include pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and mild fever. These side effects are usually short-lived and not a cause for concern.

Rare Complications

Serious side effects, also called adverse events, from the COVID-19 vaccine are rare. Anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction, can occur if someone is allergic to the vaccine. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, wheezing, low blood pressure, and hives. After you get the vaccine, you will likely be asked to wait for a few minutes so that, in the unlikely event that you do have a reaction, you can receive immediate treatment.

The other rare reaction is myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) or pericarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart). People who experienced this side effect recover well with treatment and rest.

Does the COVID-19 Vaccine Cause Leukemia?

There’s no evidence that the COVID-19 vaccine causes leukemia. Leukemia is a type of cancer that develops in the bone marrow and blood cells. It’s caused by mutations (changes) in the DNA of blood cells, which make those cells grow out of control. These mutations can happen for many reasons, such as genetics or exposure to environmental triggers. The COVID-19 vaccine does not affect your DNA or cause any cells in the body to become cancerous. There’s no research that links the COVID-19 vaccine to an increased risk of developing leukemia.

Do Leukemia Treatments Impact the Effectiveness of the COVID-19 Vaccine?

If you have leukemia, the treatment you’re receiving can impact how well the COVID-19 vaccine works. Some treatments, such as chemotherapy or targeted therapy, weaken your immune system, which makes it harder for your body to respond to the vaccine. Let’s take a closer look at how specific cancer treatments can affect the COVID-19 vaccine’s safety and effectiveness.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy works by attacking fast-growing cells, including cancer cells. Unfortunately, it also affects healthy cells. This includes those in your bone marrow that produce immune cells like T cells. This can make it harder for your immune system to respond to infections or vaccines. People undergoing chemotherapy might have a weaker response to the COVID-19 vaccine, meaning they might not make as many antibodies to fight off the virus.

To help with this, your doctor might suggest getting the vaccine at a time when your immune system is stronger. This could be in between chemotherapy cycles or during a break in treatment.

Stem Cell Transplants

A stem cell transplant replaces damaged bone marrow with healthy stem cells, which develop into different types of blood cells. After a stem cell transplant, your immune system is essentially starting from scratch and needs time to rebuild. This means your response to the COVID-19 vaccine might be weaker right after the transplant.

Doctors usually recommend waiting several months after a stem cell transplant before getting vaccinated. This gives your immune system time to recover so it can respond better to the vaccine.

Targeted Therapy

Targeted therapies are drugs that attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone. One common targeted therapy for leukemia is imatinib (Gleevec). This drug blocks certain proteins that cancer cells need to grow. Like chemotherapy, they can impact how your immune system responds to the COVID-19 vaccine. People on long-term maintenance therapies, like imatinib, may still benefit from the COVID-19 vaccine. However, their response may be weaker than it is in people without leukemia.

Patients with leukemia who are treated with targeted therapies like rituximab (Rituxan) or blinatumomab (Blincyto), which may further weaken the immune system, are usually advised to delay getting the COVID-19 vaccine for around six months after discontinuation of their treatment.

Risks and Benefits of COVID-19 Vaccination in Leukemia Patients

When living with leukemia, it’s natural to wonder whether getting the COVID-19 vaccine is worth the risk. The truth is, the COVID-19 infection poses a serious danger to people with weakened immune systems, and the vaccine can significantly lower your chances of severe illness or death. While people living with leukemia may have a weaker response to the vaccine, even partial protection against the coronavirus pandemic can be lifesaving.

The benefits of getting vaccinated generally outweigh the risks. This is especially true for people with leukemia who are at higher risk of complications from COVID-19. Even if you’re currently undergoing treatment or have a weakened immune system, the vaccine can still provide valuable protection. It’s important to follow your doctor’s advice about timing your vaccine doses around your treatment schedule to maximize your protection.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyLeukemiaTeam is the social network for people with leukemia and their loved ones. On MyLeukemiaTeam, more than 20,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with leukemia.

Have you received your COVID-19 vaccine or booster? What was the experience like? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.