Those with active cancer should be given priority access to COVID-19 vaccinations, the American Association for Cancer Research concluded in a recent paper published in Cancer Discovery.
The AACR's COVID-19 and Cancer Task Force made the recommendation after analyzing 28 peer-reviewed studies related to fatality rates or mortality risks among cancer patients with a COVID-19 infection.
"The available evidence supports the conclusion that patients with cancer, in particular with hematological malignancies, should be considered among the high-risk groups for priority COVID-19 vaccination," the AACR wrote.
It's unclear whether priority access to the vaccine should also be given to patients with a past cancer diagnosis, the paper said.
"The fact that patients undergoing cancer treatments are in very frequent contact with healthcare workers increases the risk of exposure and puts the patients at the front-line of our healthcare system," the paper said.
To view the full report, click here.