Cancer patients see almost immediate antibody response to COVID after a booster shot

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-11-24 03:00

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Cancer patients with solid tumours see an almost immediate benefit from a booster shot of Pfizer's COVID vaccine, according to an Israeli study. Researchers recruited 37 people undergoing cancer treatment at a Jerusalem medical facility, including 19 undergoing chemotherapy, and tested the COVID-19 antibody levels in their blood before and after they received a Pfizer booster shot. All the patients had previously received two Pfizer doses about six months before their booster. While the researchers note this is a small study, they say nearly all patients had strong antibody levels about two weeks after their booster regardless of whether they were undergoing chemotherapy, and there was a statistically significant improvement in antibodies compared to blood tests before the booster shot.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Oncology

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Hadassah Medical Center, Israel

Funder: Dr Grinshpun reported support from the Israel Science Foundation (grant 3020/20) and the 2020 Conquer Cancer Israel Cancer Research Fund Career Development Award. Dr Kadouri reported support from Eli Lilly outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

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