In Lombardy, there are over 64,000 cancer cases per year. AIOM (Italian National Association of Doctors and Doctorates of Medicine) says, "Everyone should be vaccinated."

Today at the Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia, the Lombardy leg of the "Vaccination in Cancer Patients" campaign promoted by the Aiom Foundation takes place.

In Lombardy, more than 64,000 new cancer diagnoses are recorded each year. Every patient should receive five essential vaccinations: pneumococcal, influenza, shingles, HPV, and COVID-19. Currently, however, there is a degree of vaccine hesitancy among both patients and caregivers. For this reason, the AIOM Foundation (Italian Association of Medical Oncology) has launched the new edition of the national campaign "Vaccination in Cancer Patients," including a tour—already underway—in 10 regions, including meetings with medical oncologists, patient associations, and other members of the multidisciplinary oncology team. Today, the Lombardy leg of the project, made possible with the unconditional support of GlaxoSmithKline, is taking place at the Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia. The meetings and the campaign aim to deepen the importance of vaccination among patients and provide up-to-date scientific information.

"Throughout Italy, cancer recovery and survival rates are steadily improving," emphasizes Angioletta Lasagna, a medical oncologist at the Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo in Pavia and coordinator of the AIOM (Italian National Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) guidelines on vaccinations. "Patient care must therefore take into account new aspects related to their comprehensive psychophysical well-being. Cancer patients often have a compromised immune system due to both the disease and subsequent therapies. They are therefore more vulnerable and exposed to the risk of infections and even hospitalizations. It is essential to protect all patients from complications that can be fatal. Our scientific society was one of the first in the world to publish specific guidelines. We wanted to provide all physicians with precise instructions on when and how to administer immunizations."

"Vaccinations should be offered by intercepting patients during their treatment journeys," continues Anna Odone, full professor and director of the School of Specialization in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine at the University of Pavia. "To encourage uptake of immunizations, it's best to vaccinate directly in the hospital, where the patient is already receiving treatment. This is already a reality in some of the largest healthcare facilities operating in the Lombardy Region."

Vaccine-preventable infections are also dangerous because they can lead to a temporary suspension of cancer treatments, oncologists emphasize. Distrust or even fear of vaccines, which can protect against concrete health risks, is completely unjustified. For example, evidence shows that the herpes zoster virus is more common among cancer patients. The reasons for this lie both in the tumor itself and in the use of certain drugs, such as chemotherapy.

"It's the oncologist's responsibility to raise awareness among patients and caregivers and combat unnecessary mistrust," Lasagna concludes. "This is one of the goals we're setting for our new national campaign, which also aims to engage other healthcare professionals and increase their immunization preparedness." The "Vaccination in Cancer Patients" campaign was launched last April by the Aiom Foundation to promote the value of vaccinations among cancer patients. In addition to a tour of 10 regions, it includes the distribution of brochures, an information portal (vaccininelpazienteoncologico.it), awareness-raising ads, and social media activities.