‘It’s not over yet’: Uncertain protection from Covid vaccines leaves cancer patients in limbo
After 14 long months of near-isolation, Michele Nadeem-Baker was ready for her Covid-19 vaccination. Diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 2012, she knew her cancer made her more vulnerable to severe illness should she become infected with Covid-19. She would leave her home in Charlestown, Mass., only to walk her chocolate lab, Gabby, with her husband, dreaming of a day when she would no longer need to keep her distance from other family and friends.
She’s fully vaccinated now, but Nadeem-Baker feels left behind by the vaccine euphoria sweeping the country as it resumes something like normal life. She has only trace amounts of antibodies to show for her two doses of Moderna’s vaccine, according to test results from a study she joined, and that puts her in limbo — uncertain how much protection she has against the virus.
