Vaccine Responses in Patients with Cancer
This clinical trial evaluates vaccine responses against influenza, shingles and/or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients with cancer. After exposure to a potential pathogen or vaccine, the body’s white blood cells are mobilized to help defend the body. Some of these white blood cells are known as T cells. As the infection is passing, the immune system is left with a “memory” of the infection in the T cells, which can then recognize the pathogen much more quickly the next time the infection occurs. These T cells can respond more effectively in less time, which often means that the infection is over even before symptoms develop. Memory T cells are also formed after vaccination. However, many aspects of memory T cell formation are unknown, especially for those T cells that help other cells, known as T helper cells or CD4 cells. T helper cell help is critical for later production of the proteins that help defend against influenza, shingles and/or SARS-CoV-2 infection. Better understanding of the establishment of memory cells will help future efforts to develop better vaccines. Importantly, various medications and treatments can affect how memory T cells form and how long they last. This study aims to understand how the presence of cancer affects memory T cell formation in response to the influenza, shingles and/or SARS-CoV-2 vaccine(s).