“Protect cancer patients from the risk of respiratory infections” – Libero Quotidiano

2024-04-09 16:29:00

Rome, 9 April. (Adnkronos Health) – “It is very important to protect fragile people, especially cancer patients, from some infectious pathologies that can occur during the illness. For this reason we have extremely effective and safe vaccines available that can reduce the risk of become ill during treatment which in some cases should even be interrupted.” Roberta Siliquini, president of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health (Siti), said this in her speech at the conference ‘Vaccination protection in fragile and at-risk patients. Focus on cancer patients’, today at the Ministry of Health.

“It is essential – he underlines – to immunize cancer patients against practically all diseases, especially against those with respiratory spread: influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Sars-CoV-2, pneumococcus. But also against Herpes zoster, better known as Shingles, which has an effective and safe vaccine against a pathology that often occurs very forcefully in patients with low immune defenses.”

“The role of clinicians – underlines President Siti – is extremely important in raising awareness towards vaccination. Oncology patients have a priority health problem, which is not that of a possible infectious disease that perhaps does not arrive. Therefore, it is essential that the clinicians make it clear that it is important to get vaccinated and that a vaccine does not in any way contrast the therapy that people are undergoing. Hygienists are available to provide advice and discuss individual patients.”