Effectiveness of an on-site vaccination campaign for patients with cancer

Patients with haematological or oncological malignancies are at increased risk of severe infections. Vaccination is a key preventive strategy and is recommended by National Immunization Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs). Yet, vaccination rates in this population remain improvable. This project aimed to evaluate and enhance vaccine uptake in cancer patients.

We conducted a pre- and post-observational study at the University Hospital Cologne in Germany to assess vaccination status over a 1.5-year intervention. Relevant infections included COVID-19, influenza, herpes zoster, pneumococci and RSV. The campaign included patient education, staff training, on-site vaccination, and targeted promotional efforts.

A total of 749 patients were included (n = 398 in 2023, n = 351 in 2025). Overall vaccination rates increased from 43 to 49%, while COVID-19 vaccine coverage remained above 90%. Notable increases were observed for influenza (37% to 48%), pneumococcal (16% to 36%), and herpes zoster (22% to 33%) vaccines. The proportion of patients fully vaccinated according to public health recommendations rose from 6 to 16%, whereas those completely unvaccinated remained low (4% to 6%).

Focused vaccination campaigns can effectively increase vaccine uptake in patients with cancer; however, the proportion of individuals vaccinated per recommended schedule remains low. Future research should investigate barriers and reasons for vaccine refusal to guide more targeted interventions.