# Humoral Immunity to Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis After Cancer Treatment in Children

## TL;DR

This study examines how cancer treatments in children affect their immunity to several vaccines, finding that immunity to some vaccines declines more than others.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into post-treatment humoral immunity levels for multiple vaccines in pediatric cancer patients.

## Key findings

- Many children had below-reference antibody levels for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis after cancer treatment.
- Fewer children showed reduced immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella following treatment.
- The findings suggest a need for re-vaccination policies tailored to specific vaccines.

## Abstract

Treatment for pediatric malignancies has distinct effects on the immune system.

Our aim was to measure humoral immunity to measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), and diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccines after pediatric cancer treatment.

We assessed IgG titers of 52 children against the vaccine antigens post‐treatment.

After completed primary vaccination series for MMR and DTaP before treatment, post‐treatment there was a considerable proportion of patients with below‐reference titers against pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus, but only few subjects showed below‐reference titers against measles, mumps and rubella. Our findings may have implications when considering re‐vaccination policies.