Hi @ilivesunshine I had my flu jab yesterday because I was told I won’t be able to have the 3rd Vaccine till 6 mths after the 2nd which will be 17/10/21.
Please do let us know what your consultant says on Tuesday.
I think everyone is floundering on this one, health professional or not.
@MANS643 , @jumbo4 all really good questions - I hope my colleague Bav’s post below has cleared things up in terms of what we know so far about third jabs, booster jabs and the Monoclonal antibody therapy but please be assured we are monitoring the developments around these and will be sure to keep reviewing and updating our information. We have updated our page here around what we know so far around the antibody treatments used to prevent and treat Covid - Antibody treatments for people with blood cancer | Blood Cancer UK
Information on third vaccine doses and booster doses can be found here - How to get a covid vaccine if you have blood cancer | Blood Cancer UK
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@AndyMeer wishing you all the very best over the next month - if there’s any general info you need around stem cell transplants please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You might also find this thread useful to be part of - Awaiting or considering or had a stem cell transplant, a place to share here - Going through treatment - Blood Cancer UK Forum Take care and all the best, Alice
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Thanks @Alice_BloodCancerUK and Blood Cancer UK for giving us reliable information.
My surgery were actually just getting the NHS information starting to come through when I had my flu jab.
Thanks again @Alice_BloodCancerUK
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Thank you, Bav, for this clear and helpful information.
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in the Provent programme will be made available to people with MPN diseaseinfected with Covid.
I get the impression that a rather similar medicine has been given limited approval in the US but only for those who have already contracted mild to moderate Covid 19. I hope that the new treatment will be available prior to infection, rather like a vaccine.
At present it seems that only antibody treatments can save elderly MPN patients from indefinite shielding.
And how do we get assessed and classified as suitable recipients?
Jumbo 4
P.S. At least one similar product seems now to have been approved, with others on the way, but the big question is whether people with reduced immunity will be able to have it to prevent hospitalisation, or instead have to wait till they are infected, with obvious risks that damage could be sustained before the monoclonal antibodies are given.
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Hi @jumbo4 here’s our webpage about Antibody treatments, both to prevent and treat Covid, just in case it can be helpful for you to read through - Antibody treatments for people with blood cancer | Blood Cancer UK
The monoclonal antibody treatment called Ronapreve was approved for use by the MHRA here in the UK a few weeks ago as a post-exposure treatment for Covid, and its availability for use has recently been confirmed by the Department of Health for people who are either aged 50 and over, OR aged 12 to 49 AND considered immunocompromised in hospital with a positive Covid test .
There was also initial data recently published from PROVENT, a trial looking at use of monoclonal antibodies as a preventative therapy, as you know. This has not yet been approved for use, however the results look positive so far. We’ve put together some summary information on this here. We are calling for clarity from the Government about potential roll out plans for this, or timelines about decision making. This is of course of considerable interest to us and our community, so we’ll certainly update when we know more.
How have you been getting on?
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Gosh @jumbo4 what very good thoughts and questions.
Personally, and I am not a medical person, I think research has come on in leaps and bounds over the last 18 mths in this area, as my history person kept annoyingly saying ‘necessity is the mother of invention’.
I think as the need is there we will get there, but who knows when.
If you would like to talk to someone on the Blood Cancer UK support line their details plus email are above. You might prefer to email them.
We await the scientists I think.
Hi @AndyMeer, just noticed your post, firstly good luck for the stem cell transplant, just had mine in August for mm. I was really worried about covid and asked for the covid vaccine but the docs said that I had to wait 5/6 months so that my immune system was more mature. I would be interested if you get yours sooner.
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Hi Lynn
I got out of hospital after 19 days, the last thing we talked about in hospital was my COVID vacation so
8 weeks after my transplant which was on October 6th my first dose so I am aiming for Dec 1st
2 Weeks after my first Jab I get the Flu Jab
21 after my first Covid jab I get my 2nd Jab
8 Weeks after the second jab I get my third
6 months after the third Jab I will get my booster jab.
All this has been sent to my GP in my discharge letter
Next week I am going to get in touch with my GP so we can agree a schedule and get dates set in the GP’s diary. The reason for doing this is I want to tie the GP down to specific dates so I can get the protection asap, it was confirmed that I did have T cells and antibodies in my blood by the Rudy study that was on the AZ vaccine This time I am going on the Pfizer one.
As for me I feel very well at the moment, felt a little sickly for the first few days after coming home, and feel a little weak but feeling stronger every day, I would recommend who can to have the Stem Cell transplant, I read much about it before I went in and did feel a bit worried about the transplant, the only issue I really had was a infection in my PICC line and my temperature spike at around 39.5 but the team soon got control of it and It was back down to near normal after a couple of days.
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Hi @AndyMeer gosh that is quite a schedule and thanks for sharing your transplant experiences.
Feeling stronger every day sounds good to me, I expect It will take time to build up, just think what you and your body have been through emotionally, medically, physically and practically.
Please keep posting how you are getting on.
Hi @AndyMeer,
That’s great news to hear that you’re back home after your transplant. Congratulations on having all that strength and courage to go through with it. Have you got your appetite back yet? I found it so much easier to eat once I was back home. You sound really organised with all your jabs too. wishing you all the best with your recovery.
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Provent was being trialed to give people as a jab to prevent Covid they were not looking at it as a treatment. They had another jab they were looking at as treatment
Provent they were looking at giving to people who can’t have vaccines or who had blood cancers and compromised immune systems. They also used volunteers from these groups u like the vaccines who excluded us from the trials
I have been aware of Provent from the start even the the consults were unaware of these trials initially which I find laughable ,
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Just wanted to drop our new blog Antivirals and monoclonal antibodies – what’s the difference? | Blood Cancer UK on this thread in case it’s useful for anyone to read through!
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Many thanks - it is reassuring to know that you are actively pursuing these issues so they don’t drop off anyone’s agenda. Keep up the great work!
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Hi @AndyMeer, it’s great to hear that you are doing well after your transplant, well done!! I had an infection too after the line removal and ended up back in hospital for six days. The weakness is a bit debilitating but I felt much more normal after 3 months. Just rest and and gentle activity when you can.
Just had my post 100 days bone marrow check and cancer is gone from the bones which is a huge boost and good for future remission prognosis so I hope this will be the same for you too.
Rudy study showed antibodies before the transplant for me too with AZ but all wiped out afterwards from what I can gather. Had Phizer vaccine this time round. My health team went with the recommendation from the Anthony Nolan trust which was 100 days after day one of the transplant. I’ve had the 1st one on the 10 / 11 and should have my second early Jan, and 3rd 8 wks after. I should also have a letter soon about the scedule for the rest but it all seems so slow and the GP just isn’t very helpful in my area. Well done for tying them down where you are.
I feel a bit more comfortable now there are other treatments for us should we be unlucky enough to get covid but like you very keen to get the vaccines under my belt.
Take Care and wishing you a speedy recovery xx
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I read today that the FDA in US has approved the use of Astra Zenneca monoclonal antibody cocktail known as Evusheld containing tixagevimab and cilgavimab for immunocompromised. This is to given to protect from Covid not once one gets Covid. Believe this is AZD7442 drug am I correct?
As despite 3 Pfizer doses I had no antibodies from testing, if this drug could be approved by UK would be a tremendous relief and a lifesaver.
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Interesting @Addax I will copy this to @Alice_BloodCancerUK.
You must have been so disappointed not to have produced any antibodies.
Look after yourself
Sorry to hear you have no antibodies. I had none after 2 jabs but am pleased to say I now have some after having my third. Hopefully you might get some after 4.
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A good question @Addax. Hope you’re doing okay. Yes you’re correct that Evusheld is AZD7442. AstraZeneca have shared data with the MHRA but, the MHRA are yet to come to a decision on this. We are not aware at this stage as to what is causing the delay, but Blood Cancer UK is in close communication with AstraZeneca in order to help get the review process into action in the UK.
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