Dear everybody,
Do you have any idea what vaccines are recommended prior to begin front line treatment of multiple myeloma?
For example, if recently diagnosed with a kind of myeloma and doctor refers to see an oncologist for induction or chemo treatment, I believe those drugs will compromise your immunity. You may be infected easily and cannot fight those common virus and bacteria anymore. Sometimes even antibiotics and antivirals won't help much. So there must be vaccination system for most of the patients who undergo such therapies.
Two more questions:
Are there specific vaccines available or required across countries or regions?
If you have been given a short notice to start treatment, what can be the most important vaccines to select from?
Blessings from
Joy
Forums
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Joy Majumdar - Name: Joy Majumdar
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Kalpana Majumdar
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 64
Re: Vaccines needed prior to myeloma treatment
Hi Joy, If you look i the Beacons's search engine about vaccinations, you could read an article concerning recommendations about vaccinations. There are differing approaches though, among myeloma specialists.
I took the 'flu shot and also the vaccine against strains of pneumonia before the transplant, and then after the transplant, had my childhood vaccinations again, over a period of two years, plus booster shots. It was quite a long process to get re-vaccinated. I don't know what vaccinations for tropical medicine would be recommended though, if you live in India?
I took the 'flu shot and also the vaccine against strains of pneumonia before the transplant, and then after the transplant, had my childhood vaccinations again, over a period of two years, plus booster shots. It was quite a long process to get re-vaccinated. I don't know what vaccinations for tropical medicine would be recommended though, if you live in India?
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Vaccines needed prior to myeloma treatment
Joy-
I don't know of any recommendations of upfront vaccinations other than my oncologist recommended the pneumonia vaccine and the annual flu vaccine. I recently had the new, more comprehensive, pneumonia vaccination - Prevnar13 - even though I had had the original pneumonia vaccination 2 years ago. You don't want to get any vaccinations with live vaccines since we have compromised immune systems.
Our immune systems are compromised by the myeloma itself, not as much by the treatments. The plasma cells where the cancer is produce the antibodies to fight infection. So, if one of your problems has been frequent infections prior to diagnosis it is likely due to your compromised immune system from the myeloma. Once you start treatment and your affected immunoglobulin (IGg, IGm, IGa, etc) improves you are likely to have fewer infections. But, one of the side effects of almost all of the treatments that we receive have the possibility of lowering your blood levels which could put you at risk for infection. When I have had this happen my doctor has ordered a Neupogen injection to improve my blood levels and has stopped my treatment for a month to allow my blood levels to recover. The other thing that can be ordered if you begin to develop frequent, chronic infections after being treated is an IVIG infusion. This is an immunoglobulin infusion that boosts your immune system to help fight infections. Some insurances won't approve it.
The best things that you can do to protect yourself is to eat healthy, exercise, avoid people who obviously are sick with respiratory infections, avoid children who have recently been vaccinated with a live vaccine for a couple of weeks, avoid huge crowds in closed environments, wash hands frequently, etc. I actually haven't had any respiratory infections other than during my first year post autologous stem cell transplant. I used to get one, or two, serious colds every year pre-diagnosis. Even the first year that I was in treatment and was working as a PT in close contact to patients who were also immune compromised and in an office area with 6 desk cubbies in an enclosed space, I didn't get sick. All of the other 5 people in our space got the flu that year. Not me.
So, be careful, but not crazy. Report any unusual symptoms that may develop to your oncologist. Begin to feel better.
All the best,
Nancy in Phila
I don't know of any recommendations of upfront vaccinations other than my oncologist recommended the pneumonia vaccine and the annual flu vaccine. I recently had the new, more comprehensive, pneumonia vaccination - Prevnar13 - even though I had had the original pneumonia vaccination 2 years ago. You don't want to get any vaccinations with live vaccines since we have compromised immune systems.
Our immune systems are compromised by the myeloma itself, not as much by the treatments. The plasma cells where the cancer is produce the antibodies to fight infection. So, if one of your problems has been frequent infections prior to diagnosis it is likely due to your compromised immune system from the myeloma. Once you start treatment and your affected immunoglobulin (IGg, IGm, IGa, etc) improves you are likely to have fewer infections. But, one of the side effects of almost all of the treatments that we receive have the possibility of lowering your blood levels which could put you at risk for infection. When I have had this happen my doctor has ordered a Neupogen injection to improve my blood levels and has stopped my treatment for a month to allow my blood levels to recover. The other thing that can be ordered if you begin to develop frequent, chronic infections after being treated is an IVIG infusion. This is an immunoglobulin infusion that boosts your immune system to help fight infections. Some insurances won't approve it.
The best things that you can do to protect yourself is to eat healthy, exercise, avoid people who obviously are sick with respiratory infections, avoid children who have recently been vaccinated with a live vaccine for a couple of weeks, avoid huge crowds in closed environments, wash hands frequently, etc. I actually haven't had any respiratory infections other than during my first year post autologous stem cell transplant. I used to get one, or two, serious colds every year pre-diagnosis. Even the first year that I was in treatment and was working as a PT in close contact to patients who were also immune compromised and in an office area with 6 desk cubbies in an enclosed space, I didn't get sick. All of the other 5 people in our space got the flu that year. Not me.
So, be careful, but not crazy. Report any unusual symptoms that may develop to your oncologist. Begin to feel better.
All the best,
Nancy in Phila
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Vaccines needed prior to myeloma treatment
Hi Joy,
In general, I would recommend that you get a copy of your vaccine history and talk to your doctor about which vaccines can / should be updated before you start treatment. Also, if you are going to be on Velcade, I would specifically ask about getting a vaccine for shingles. Erik had a nasty case of shingles when he was on Velcade; only later did we learn that he should have had a shingles vaccine.
Good luck!
Lyn
In general, I would recommend that you get a copy of your vaccine history and talk to your doctor about which vaccines can / should be updated before you start treatment. Also, if you are going to be on Velcade, I would specifically ask about getting a vaccine for shingles. Erik had a nasty case of shingles when he was on Velcade; only later did we learn that he should have had a shingles vaccine.
Good luck!
Lyn
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Christa's Mom - Name: Christa's Mom
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: September, 2010
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Vaccines needed prior to myeloma treatment
I disagree with getting the shingles vaccine. It is a live vaccine and is not advised that we get it. With Velcade you should be taking Acyclovir as a preventative against viral infections, including shingles. My oncologist expressly states that no live vaccines are to be given.
Nancy in Phila
Nancy in Phila
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NStewart - Name: Nancy Stewart
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 3/08
- Age at diagnosis: 60
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