Exiting the pandemic together: achieving global immunity and equity

A new editorial paper was published in Oncoscience (Volume 10) on September 1, 2023, entitled, “Exiting the pandemic together: achieving global immunity and equity.”

In this new editorial, researchers Yuxin Ying, Jola Bytyci and Lennard YW Lee from Oxford Medical School discuss their recent investigation into the effectiveness of the third booster vaccine, entitled, “COVID-19: Third dose booster vaccine effectiveness against breakthrough coronavirus infection, hospitalisations and death in patients with cancer: A population-based study.” 

Overall, the study found that the third dose booster improved vaccine effectiveness across various measures. However, the benefits of the booster were not as significant for patients with cancer when compared to the general population. This is because immunocompromised (IC) individuals, including those with cancer, have a diminished response to vaccination. 

As a result, they continue to remain at a high risk of experiencing breakthrough infections and severe cases of COVID-19. Unfortunately, vaccination alone does not provide an adequate level of protection for these groups. Consequently, additional measures such as prophylactic antibodies are internally agreed to be the standard of care to address the ongoing impact of the pandemic on affected individuals.

“This study represents the largest global evaluation of the efficacy of the third dose booster vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.”