Brain Tumour Patients and COVID-19 Vaccines
To guide brain tumour patients in your vaccination decisions, BTSS medical advisors have compiled the following from reliable sources for your reference. Please note our disclaimer that the information provided is not intended as professional advice specific to your medical conditions. BTSS and our medical advisors will not be responsible for any outcome resulting from your personal vaccination decision.
- COVID-19 vaccinations will protect our loved ones and allow more activities to resume.
- All vaccines used in Singapore must comply with WHO guidelines and be approved by the Health Sciences The 2 currently approved vaccines are Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna.
- The clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines have shown them to be effective and acceptably safe.
- Many international agencies continue to monitor these vaccines on an ongoing basis to ensure their benefits continue to outweigh any risks.
- Some typical side effects include injection-site reactions (sore arm for example) and generalised symptoms such as ‘flu-like ’illness, headache, chills, fatigue (tiredness), nausea (feeling sick), fever, dizziness, weakness, aching muscles, and rapid heartbeat.
- These happen shortly after the vaccination and are not associated with more serious or lasting Side effects tend to resolve within a day or two and these types of reactions reflect the normal immune response triggered by the body to the vaccines.
- Widespread use of the vaccine now suggests that severe allergic reactions to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are very rare. Anaphylaxis can also be a very rare side effect associated with most other vaccines.
- Patients who are immunocompromised should hold off receiving the vaccination. These include cancer patients on chemotherapy or immunosuppressive treatment.
- Patients on surveillance whose tumours are not progressing can receive the COVID-19 vaccine three months after the completion of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
- Patients who have undergone curative treatment and are not on immunosuppressive treatment are considered to have immune systems as healthy as any other person without cancer diagnosis and are encouraged to be vaccinated.
- One should consult your doctor if in doubt of your immune status.
- Physical distancing measures, masks, face shields, sanitizers and other hygiene measures are still required during the pandemic, including for patients with cancer, and should certainly accompany the vaccination strategies.
- If you suffer from other chronic medical conditions, please consult your doctor if there are further queries on fitness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
For more information:
https://www.gov.sg/features/covid-19-vaccination