It is important that your child does not receive any of the standard childhood immunisations during their treatment for cancer. This is because some immunisations would not work properly if given to a patient receiving chemotherapy. Some live vaccines may actually cause harm. Once your child has completed their treatment, usually they should not receive any immunisations for six months. This will, however, depend on the stage of immunisation that they were at before treatment started. We will discuss this with you at the relevant time.

Flu Vaccination

It is recommended that patients who are on chemotherapy or who have received chemotherapy within the last 6 months are given the influenza vaccine during autumn/winter. Vaccination will provide protection against influenza and reduce the chances of developing severe illness if infected.

There are two types of influenza vaccination available – an inactivated vaccine which is given by injection and a live vaccine for children aged 2-18 years that is given as a nasal spray. Oncology patients should be given the inactivated vaccine [injection]. Family members within the household and other children they come into contact with can be given the nasal spray.

Please note that there is not considered to be any significant risk to being in school if other pupils have received the nasal influenza vaccine except in patients whom are post-transplant.