Immunogenicity and Safety of Coronavac Vaccine in Elderly Cancer Patients Receiving Cytotoxic Chemotherapy

Abstract

The aim of our study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of inactivated CoronaVac vaccine in elderly cancer patients actively receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy. This single-center, prospective cohort study was conducted with 42 patients older than 65 years receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy and 43 healthy volunteers. CoronaVac vaccine was administered to both groups as two doses (3 μg/day) on days 0 and 28. Antibody levels measured after 28 days (+/-3 days) from second dose of vaccine and ≥ 1 U/mL were considered positive. Antibody seropositivity was detected in all the controls (n= 43, 100%). Of the 42 patients, seropositivity was detected in 32 (76.2%) cases (p< 0.001). The median antibody level was significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group (21.6 U/ml vs 51.7 U/ml respectively, p= 0.011). SARS-CoV-2 infection was detected in five of the 42 cancer patients and none of the control group. None of the patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had pulmonary involvement, and none of the patients died due to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite of the developed poor immune response than healthy adults, CoronaVac vaccine was effective and safe in elderly cancer patients with actively receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy. © 2023, UHOD - Uluslararasi Hematoloji Onkoloji Dergisi. All rights reserved.