COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Hematological Malignances
Patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) represent a population particularly vulnerable to infections due to their cancer-related immune deficiency and the immunosuppressive treatment they are administered. Accordingly, a high hospitalization and mortality rate has been consistently reported in s...
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MDPI AG
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Vaccines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/5/465 |
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| author | Massimo Franchini Fabrizio Maggi Daniele Focosi |
| author_facet | Massimo Franchini Fabrizio Maggi Daniele Focosi |
| author_sort | Massimo Franchini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Patients with hematologic malignancies (HM) represent a population particularly vulnerable to infections due to their cancer-related immune deficiency and the immunosuppressive treatment they are administered. Accordingly, a high hospitalization and mortality rate has been consistently reported in such a frail population during the first COVID-19 pandemic waves. After a brief description of the clinical impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with blood cancers, this narrative review is focused on the protective effect of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with HM. All in all, the results from the literature analysis indicate that booster shots in fully vaccinated HM patients are significantly able to increase seroconversion rates, which represent the best surrogate of vaccine efficacy. Despite these encouraging data, concerns still remain regarding the lower immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines, even to booster doses, in severely immunosuppressed HM patients, such as those receiving anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapies and hematopoietic stem cell transplants. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6743d00ba7bc46edad3556f184fe3363 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj-art-6743d00ba7bc46edad3556f184fe33632025-08-20T02:33:55ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2025-04-0113546510.3390/vaccines13050465COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Hematological MalignancesMassimo Franchini0Fabrizio Maggi1Daniele Focosi2Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Carlo Poma Hospital, 46100 Mantua, ItalyNational Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani”-IRCCS, 00149 Rome, ItalyNorth-Western Tuscany Blood Bank, Pisa University Hospital, 56124 Pisa, ItalyPatients with hematologic malignancies (HM) represent a population particularly vulnerable to infections due to their cancer-related immune deficiency and the immunosuppressive treatment they are administered. Accordingly, a high hospitalization and mortality rate has been consistently reported in such a frail population during the first COVID-19 pandemic waves. After a brief description of the clinical impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with blood cancers, this narrative review is focused on the protective effect of COVID-19 vaccines in patients with HM. All in all, the results from the literature analysis indicate that booster shots in fully vaccinated HM patients are significantly able to increase seroconversion rates, which represent the best surrogate of vaccine efficacy. Despite these encouraging data, concerns still remain regarding the lower immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines, even to booster doses, in severely immunosuppressed HM patients, such as those receiving anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody therapies and hematopoietic stem cell transplants.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/5/465hematological malignancySARS-CoV-2COVID-19vaccinationmortality |
| spellingShingle | Massimo Franchini Fabrizio Maggi Daniele Focosi COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Hematological Malignances Vaccines hematological malignancy SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 vaccination mortality |
| title | COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Hematological Malignances |
| title_full | COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Hematological Malignances |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Hematological Malignances |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Hematological Malignances |
| title_short | COVID-19 Vaccination in Patients with Hematological Malignances |
| title_sort | covid 19 vaccination in patients with hematological malignances |
| topic | hematological malignancy SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 vaccination mortality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/13/5/465 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT massimofranchini covid19vaccinationinpatientswithhematologicalmalignances AT fabriziomaggi covid19vaccinationinpatientswithhematologicalmalignances AT danielefocosi covid19vaccinationinpatientswithhematologicalmalignances |