What about cancer patients getting treatment?

It is common for people during cancer treatment to have weakened immune systems. For these people the flu can lead to serious, even life threatening conditions, and so the flu shot is recommended for most.

Many cancer patients are concerned that the flu shot may make them sick or cause an adverse reaction with other medications they are taking. Talk to your doctor about this -- he or she knows your situation best and can tell you if you should get the shot and when is the best time to do it. Some people do get symptoms, such as a low grade fever or achy muscles, after a flu shot. These symptoms are caused by the immune system reacting to the flu shot and will go away in a day or so. The flu shot cannot cause the flu.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people with a high risk of developing complications from the flu get vaccinated before the flu season begins -- preferably in October or earlier through December. This includes anyone with a weakened immune system due to cancer treatment with x-rays (radiation) or drugs (chemotherapy). Those who are seriously ill should talk to their doctor about getting a flu shot before getting vaccinated.

The CDC also recommends that any one who lives with or cares for a person at high risk for flu-related complications get the vaccine too.

Remember that if you have an allergy to chicken eggs you should not get the flu vaccine.

What types of flu vaccines are recommended for cancer patients?

Cancer patients do have to be careful about the type of flu vaccine they get. There are 2 types available:

• inactivated vaccines are made up of killed virus and are given as actual shots or injections, usually in the arm 
• live vaccines are made up of weakened live virus and are given as a nasal spray

People with cancer should get the inactivated flu shot NOT the nasal spray.

How do flu vaccines work?

Both flu vaccines (the flu shot and the nasal-spray flu vaccine) work in the same way. They cause the body to make antibodies that protect it against influenza virus infection. It takes up to 2 weeks after the shot for protection to develop.

Remember to always talk to your doctor before having a flu shot if you have a serious illness like cancer.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Seasonal Flu Vaccine. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/fluvaccine.htm. Accessed November 13, 2007.

Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inactivated Influenza Vaccine 2007-08: What You Need to Know. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-flu.pdf. Accessed November 13, 2007.

Revised: 11/26/2007