Unvaccinated cancer patients 1.7 times as likely to contract Covid, 1.6 times higher risk of death - Daily Mail

Cancer patients who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 suffer an increased risk of infection or death from the virus compared to those who did get their shots, a new study finds.

Researchers found that unvaccinated cancer patients (orange line) were at a 70 percent increased risk of COVID-19 infection and 60% increased risk of death from Covid when compared to their vaccinated peers (blue line).

The study in veterans finds that the vaccine is not as effective in cancer patients as it is in the general population - which is confirmed by other studies as well - but still does provide a certain level of protection (file image ).

Researchers found that in the time between study enrollment and check-up, 275 unvaccinated participants had been infected with Covid, compared to only 161 of the vaccinated - a 70 percent difference.

They also found that 17 people in the vaccinated group had died of Covid in between study enrollment and follow up, compared to 27 in the unvaccinated group.

A previous study have found that around ten percent of cancer patients do not have strong antibody responses to the vaccines

Cancer patients are also one of the most at-risk groups from the virus, with patients suffering from some types of cancer being at up to a 70 percent increased risk death from Covid

Unvaccinated chemotherapy patients were 30 percent more likely to contract the virus than the vaccinated