Overview
- MD Anderson researchers retrospectively analyzed records from more than 1,000 patients treated between 2019 and 2023 for non‑small cell lung cancer or metastatic melanoma with checkpoint inhibitors.
- Receiving an mRNA Covid‑19 vaccine within roughly 100 days before or after starting immunotherapy was associated with markedly better survival, including median 37 vs 21 months in lung cancer and three‑year melanoma survival of 67.6% vs 44.1%.
- The association appeared specific to mRNA vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, with no similar benefit seen for influenza or pneumococcal shots and no effect in patients receiving chemotherapy without immunotherapy.
- Immune profiling and preclinical experiments suggest a short‑lived Type I interferon surge that activates dendritic cells, NK cells and T cells, with mouse models showing enhanced tumor control when vaccination is combined with checkpoint blockade.
- Authors and external experts caution that the evidence is observational and could reflect confounding, and the team is organizing larger prospective and randomized trials as policy debates over mRNA funding continue.