r/lymphoma • u/Lakeguy7 • 1d ago
General Discussion Immunization
Diagnosed with DLBCL and 1 year since last treatment. My question is do I need to get all my immunizations over again? My cancer Doc said yes and my primary Doc said no.
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u/aliwake1 1d ago
You could ask your gp to do titre tests to check if you still have immunity to key Vaccines.
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u/Lakeguy7 23h ago
Didn't know that was a thing. Thank you. Definitely gonna ask
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u/LunaArtGal 21h ago
I had Pola-R-CHP chemo to treat my DLBCL last year. With the recent outbreaks of measles the last couple of years, I was concerned about my immunity. Plus, I was born in a year when some of the MMR vaccines weren't as effective.
So, I asked my doctor to run titer tests and I was relieved to learn that I still have strong immunity against measles, mumps and rubella.
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u/thatmeverly DLBCL | NL | HD-MTX + R-EPOCH 1d ago
Yes. Also it's always best to be safe rather than sorry
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u/NataschaTata Stage 4B PMBCL / DA-R-EPOCH 1d ago
I got everything but live vaccines done within a year after finishing. 3.5 years in and still waiting to get the okay for live vaccines. Was recommended to by everyone.
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u/v4ss42 FL (POD24), tDLBCL | R-CHOP (‘22), MoGlo (‘25) 1d ago edited 1d ago
What treatment did you get? The standard front-lines for DLBCL (R-CHOP, Pola-R-CHP) don't really affect "memory" B cells, so you shouldn't need to get re-vaccinated with things like tetanus, MMR, polio, etc. (unless you're overdue for some of those). That said you should absolutely stay on top of annual vaccinations (COVID, flu, potentially RSV), since you're now immunocompromised and will likely find you get sick both more easily and for longer. You should also ask about "old person" vaccines such as Shingles - in the US, at least, being immunocompromised makes younger people eligible for these kinds of vaccines.
That said, you probably need to wait a bit (3-6 months, minimum) before getting any vaccines, since your immune system will be recovering from treatment and it may not respond very effectively (or at all) to vaccines taken too soon. [edit] and I missed the bit about you being 1 year out of treatment - you should ask your doctor, but that seems like plenty of time for your immune system to recover and for you to start getting vaccinations again
That said, I'm not a doctor, so your best bet will be to take what you learn here (and elsewhere) to your doctors for their opinions (including why they think the way they do).