Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine After Cancer Surgery Requiring Lymph Node Removal Under the Arm
View recommendations for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine after cancer surgery requiring lymph node removal under the arm.
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NewsMar | 26 | 2021
Mass General Brigham is offering first-dose appointments to patients who are eligible under the state’s vaccine distribution plan, based on supply. All three vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) are safe and highly effective. We are not able to offer patients a choice as to which first dose vaccine they receive. If you receive Pfizer or Moderna for your first dose, you will receive the same vaccine for your second dose.
We contact patients through Patient Gateway, email, or text message to confirm eligibility and to schedule appointments. We are scheduling all vaccine appointments through a central scheduling center. Please do not contact your doctor's office about vaccine appointments. It may take time before you receive your invitation and are able to schedule your appointment. Please be patient.
Yes. The CDC has stated that people with cancer may receive the COVID-19 vaccines, as long as they have had no issues with getting vaccines in the past.
If your current treatment includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapies, or radiation therapy, the decision about when you get vaccinated should be made together with your care team.
In making your decision, you should consider your risk of exposure to the virus, what your chances of getting very sick might be if you do get the virus, and when your treatment will be finished.
If you are done with treatment, you should get vaccinated when the vaccine is available to you. This includes patients who are still being seen, as part of post-treatment, or are thought of as in the “survivorship” part of their journey.
No. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that the vaccine will affect your cancer treatment.
Your caregiver (e.g., your spouse or adult child) should talk with their own health care provider to determine if they should get the vaccine when it is available to them.
For more information and FAQs about the COVID-19 vaccine, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org/covid19/vaccine. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.
View recommendations for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine after cancer surgery requiring lymph node removal under the arm.
View COVID-19 Information for Cancer Center Patients, including FAQs.
Please note that no visitors are allowed in outpatient settings.
This holiday season, we need your continued help to stop the spread of COVID-19. We are committed to your health and ask that for your safety and the safety of our community, you please stay home during the holidays.
The Mass General Cancer Center is ready, willing, and able to see patients. Patients may have some anxiety about coming to the hospital because of the pandemic, but ease some of those concerns by hearing how we are keeping patients and staff safe.
Virtual healthcare visits have quickly become the norm. Dr. Steven Isakoff, Breast Oncologist, provides tips for making your Mass General Cancer Center virtual visit run smoothly.
An integral part of one of the world’s most distinguished academic medical centers, the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center is among the leading cancer care providers in the United States.