Covid vaccine and blood cancer

Page updated 18 December 2023

On this page:

• Reducing your risk
• Should I still be shielding?
• Making decisions that are right for you
• What if someone in my household gets covid?

Everyone’s situation is different, and it’s not always easy or possible to remove every risk. But there are lots of things you can do to protect yourself in your daily life:

• Get all of your covid vaccine doses - with each booster, more people with blood cancer develop covid antibodies.
• Know how to access antibody and antiviral treatments if you do get covid. They have been found to be effective in people with impaired immune systems who get covid.
• Keep a stock of lateral flow tests so you can test yourself quickly if you get symptoms of covid.
• Try to avoid contact with people who have symptoms of covid or other respiratory infections.
• Remember that ventilation is key to reducing risk - when you mix with other people, try to have good ventilation by meeting outside or having a window open.
• Consider asking visitors to your home to take a lateral flow test before visiting. You could also ask them to wear a mask, or wear a mask yourself. Masks classed as FFP3 offer the best protection, as they protect against smaller particles.
• Consider wearing a face covering in crowded public spaces, or avoid crowded spaces if you can.
• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitiser.

The UK government is no longer advising anyone to shield. Instead, they have issued guidance to people whose immune system means they are at higher risk. This gives advice on ways to keep yourself safe, without having to shield.

Research shows that shielding can have a negative impact on your mental health. Many people with blood cancer have stopped shielding, but we know some people are still choosing to shield. We have more information below about making decisions that are right for you.

Whatever your situation, you can take some control by thinking about the different risks in your life, and which ones you might be able to change.

Even with risks that you can’t completely remove, there are probably ways you can make them slightly less risky. There are tips below about things to try if you are worried about the risk from school or work.

You might want to start by writing out a list of activities you do. For example: going to the shops; looking after children; going to work; meeting friends; doing a hobby with other people; going out to eat.

You can then think about:

• Which risks you’ll remove completely (for example, you might get shopping delivered so you can avoid the shops)
• Which risks you’ll reduce (for example, still spending time with family, but wearing a mask in crowded situations)
• Which risks you can’t you remove (for example, going to work).

Talking to someone can help you work things out - talk to other people with blood cancer in our online forum, or talk to us.

There will probably always be some level of risk in what you do. Most people need a balance between trying not to catch covid, but still being able to live their life. You might find there are times when the benefit of doing something (such as the benefit to your mental health of spending time with friends and family) outweighs any risk.

As someone who's at higher risk of serious illness, there are precautions you can take to protect yourself if someone you live with gets covid. These things may depend on the layout of your home and your relationship to the person who has covid.

Everyone’s situation is different, and it’s not usually possible to remove every risk. But there are lots of things you can do in combination to protect yourself:

• Wear an FFP3 face mask – a mask can protect you from inhaling particles in the air like dust, pollutants, bacteria and viruses. Masks classed as FFP3 offer the best protection, as they protect against the smaller particles. An FFP3 mask can't totally prevent you from getting covid, but it can reduce the risk.
• Ventilate your home – It helps to keep shared spaces well-ventilated by opening windows and letting air move in and out.
• Sleep separately – If you can, sleep in separate beds, or ideally, separate rooms.
• Stay 2 metres apart if you can – Keeping your distance can help, so try to stay in separate rooms as much as possible.
• Keep your hands clean – Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser, and avoid touching your face.
• Clean frequently – Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces which get touched a lot, such as door handles.
• Use separate bathrooms – Or if you share a bathroom, clean it after each use.
• Keep personal items separate – Use separate towels and keep personal items like toothbrushes away from each other.
• Don't share kitchen items – Use separate cutlery, crockery, dishcloths and tea towels to stop germs spreading.

Because coronavirus can be spread by airborne (aerosol) transmission as well as droplet transmission, you might still catch covid even if you try your best to stay apart. So it's also important that you:

• Get free lateral flow tests - use them so that if you do catch it, you'll find out quickly and can access any treatment you need.
• Get all of your covid vaccine doses - with each booster, more people with blood cancer develop covid antibodies.
• Know how to access antibody and antiviral treatments if you do get covid.