Abstract
Background: There remains limited knowledge about the immune
response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV2)
vaccination in pediatric oncology patients, which is essential to
provide counseling and risk adaptation in this vulnerable population.
The goal of this study was to understand immunogenicity after
vaccination in pediatric oncology patients and determine if certain
clinical factors impacted response. Methods: Patients 0-25
years of age with a diagnosis of cancer and actively receiving therapy
were enrolled on study. We excluded patients who were completely
vaccinated prior to their cancer diagnosis. Blood samples were collected
pre-vaccination, as well as 2, 4-6, and 8-12 weeks after vaccination.
Healthy children who were fully vaccinated enrolled as controls.
Clinical data and complete blood counts around time of vaccination were
collected. To study B and T cell immunity, we measured neutralizing
antibodies by enzyme-linked immunoassay and interferon gamma secretion
by enzyme-linked immunospot, respectively. Results: 26 patients
enrolled on study, for which 11 were evaluable oncology patients and 7
were healthy controls. Adequate B cell response was seen in 36.4% of
patients and adequate T cell response in 77.8% of patients. Numbers
were too small to detect differences based on malignancy type. There was
no differences in immunity based on absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) or
intensity of therapy. Conclusion: Pediatric oncology patients
have a suboptimal immune response to SARS-COV2 vaccination. Booster
doses will be imperative to provide optimal protection against COVID-19,
however blood counts may not be a useful guide to optimize the time of
administration.