[2021-06-13] COVID cautious
I visited my mom this afternoon, along with my sister, two brothers and their kids. We had a lovely, socially distanced visit on her lawn in the shade of a maple tree. It helps that my mom has plenty of room, which allowed the eight of us to spread out in one large circle with at least six feet between people of different households.
We've been socially distancing for so long that I find it difficult to let go of my cautious approach. I think I'll still be guarded until everyone I interact with is fully vaccinated.
I wondered whether new data were available on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine among cancer patients. I couldn't readily find new information, but I did take heart in a UK study that showed high efficacy for patients with solid cancers when the second dose was administered 21 days after the first:
The [Pfizer-BioNTech] vaccine was largely well tolerated. However, in contrast to its very high performance in healthy controls (>90% efficacious), immune efficacy of a single inoculum in solid cancer patients was strikingly low (below 40%) and very low in haematological cancer patients (below 15%). Of note, efficacy in solid cancer patients was greatly and rapidly increased by boosting at 21-days (95% within 2 weeks of boost). Too few haematological cancer patients were boosted for clear conclusions to be drawn.
This suggests that since I received my second Pfizer-BioNTech dose 24 days after my first, I should have a fairly strong immune response. It's been just over four weeks since my second dose, so I would conclude that I am adequately protected.
Nevertheless, I continue to refrain from visiting other people in their homes. I take a wide berth whenever I pass fellow walkers on sidewalks and paths. I wear a mask when I'm within 6 feet of someone from another household when we're visiting outside.
Throughout the pandemic, I have taken my cue from public health officials. Until new guidance is provided in Canada on what fully vaccinated people can do, I'll remain careful. While I'm encouraged that everyone in my household now has at least one dose of the vaccine (my kids reached this milestone yesterday and my husband is scheduled to get his second dose in early July), I'm still sensitive to the fact that they are not fully protected.
The time will come when we can dispense with some of the strict public health measures we've been living with for more than a year, such as wearing masks and visiting only outdoors. In the meantime, I'm thankful that it's summer, making outdoor visits both possible and pleasant.
