Cocoon vaccination for influenza in patients with a solid tumor: a retrospective study
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Cocoon vaccination for influenza in patients with a solid tumor: a retrospective study M. J. Rensink 1 & H. W. M. van Laarhoven 2 & F. Holleman 1 Received: 14 August 2020 / Accepted: 5 November 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Purpose Oncological patients are susceptible to various severe viral infections, including influenza. Vaccinating oncological patients and their household contacts (“cocoon vaccination”) may protect these patients from contracting influenza. To understand the potential of cocoon vaccination in oncological patients, this study assesses the influenza vaccination status of oncological patients and their household contacts and their considerations regarding the vaccination. Methods In this retrospective study, oncological patients with a solid tumor were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their own and their household contacts’ influenza vaccination status in the influenza season of 2018–2019. Results Ninety-eight patients were included (response rate 88%). The influenza vaccination rates of oncological patients and their first household contacts were 43.9% and 44.9%, respectively. The majority of vaccinated patients and vaccinated first household contacts had been advised by their general practitioner to get the vaccination. A minority of the first household contacts reported getting vaccinated specifically because of the patient’s vulnerability. Unvaccinated patients and unvaccinated household contacts mainly believed the vaccination was unnecessary or were afraid of side effects. None of the included patients had been hospitalized with influenza. Conclusion The oncological patients’ and first household contacts’ vaccination rates in this study were lower than the vaccination rates of the general Dutch population of over 60 years old, possibly due to a lack of knowledge and misconceptions about the vaccination. Further research is required to establish whether cocoon vaccination can contribute to protecting oncological patients from contracting an influenza infection. Keywords Vaccination . Cocoon vaccination . Influenza . Household contacts . Oncological patients . Retrospective study
Introduction Viral infections have a serious impact on people’s health worldwide, as is evidenced by the current COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic that, at the time of writing, has resulted in over a million deaths worldwide and for which a vaccine is urgently awaited [1]. Vaccines are, however, available for influenza, and yet, according to the World Health Organization * M. J. Rensink [email protected] 1
Department of Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2
Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam University Medical Centers (UMC), University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
(WHO), three to five million patients globally suffer from a severe influenza infection every year, resulting in approximately 290,00
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