key: cord-0993961-lujiikfq authors: Kotecha, Rishi S. title: COVID‐19 vaccination for children with cancer date: 2021-09-14 journal: Pediatr Blood Cancer DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29340 sha: 3331ec8281955123ed2355b8477004fac7088870 doc_id: 993961 cord_uid: lujiikfq nan compared to those with hematological cancers. The latter is supported by a recent study, which identified a blunted and heterogeneous antibody response to BNT162b2 vaccination in adults with hematological malignancies. 8 There is a paucity of data regarding COVID-19 vaccination in children with cancer; however, these findings have been mirrored by studies of inactivated influenza and pneumococcal vaccination, which reflect that children with cancer are able to mount protective immune responses to vaccination, and that the extent of response is modulated by a variety of factors that can include the number of doses received, whether treatment is being delivered for a solid or hematological malignancy and lymphocyte count at the time of vaccination. [9] [10] [11] Given that the patterns of response are reflective of host immunity, similar outcomes are likely to be found following COVID-19 vaccination in children with cancer, suggesting that optimization of outcome could be achieved by timing immunization at the furthest point from the immunosuppressing effect of cytotoxic treatment during a given cycle. In addition, a specific consideration to vaccination of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a stabilizing component of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, necessitating the development and validation of strategies to mitigate risk for children with a prior history of hypersensitivity to PEGasparaginase. 12 The COVID-19 and Cancer Taskforce have identified that on an international scale, there has been little planning for the systematic collection of data from patients with cancer receiving COVID-19 vaccines. 13 As COVID-19 vaccines become licensed for use in children and adolescents, there is a need to develop clinical trials in children with cancer to provide best evidence. However, given that access to trials will not be universal and the length of time required to conduct a trial, it will be essential for global collation of data for children with cancer who are vaccinated outside of a clinical trial setting. This should include a minimum clinical dataset, with reporting of safety data, including adverse events such as myocarditis and pericarditis, 14 and history of COVID-19 infection prior to and postvaccination. This could be best facilitated by platforms such as the Global COVID-19 Observatory and Resource Center for Childhood Cancer, which continues to provide an invaluable resource on COVID-19 for health care professionals treating children withcancer. 3 Rishi S. Kotecha 1,2,3 Safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy of the BNT162b2 Covid-19 vaccine in adolescents Safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) in healthy children and adolescents: a double-blind, randomised, controlled, phase 1/2 clinical trial Global registry of COVID-19 in pediatric cancer Global characteristics and outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents with cancer (GRCCC): a cohort study Challenges posed by COVID-19 to children with cancer SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for cancer patients: a call to action Safety and immunogenicity of one versus two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 for patients with cancer: interim analysis of a prospective observational study Immunogenicity of the BNT162b2 COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and early clinical outcomes in patients with haematological malignancies in Lithuania: a national prospective cohort study Immunogenicity and clinical effectiveness of the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in immunocompromised children undergoing treatment for cancer Immunogenicity and safety of single-dose, 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in pediatric and adolescent oncology patients Immunogenicity of the inactivated influenza vaccine in children who have undergone allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplant Safety of administration of BNT162b2 mRNA (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine in youths and young adults with a history of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and allergy to PEG-asparaginase Cancer and COVID-19 vaccines: a complex global picture Myocarditis and pericarditis following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination: what do we know so far?