Healthcare professionals hail ‘game-changing’ cancer vaccine trial - but some wary that vaccine hesitancy could hinder uptake

Healthcare professionals across the globe have reacted “overwhelmingly positively” to news that thousands of NHS patients in England will be fast-tracked onto a world-first personalised cancer vaccine scheme. 

In a snap analysis following the breaking news, leading digital insights consultancy Creation Healthcare found that online healthcare professionals heralded the vaccine as a “game changer”, although some expressed concerns that vaccine hesitancy among the public could hinder uptake.

The scheme, part of NHS England’s new Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, aims to provide a permanent cure for the disease by tailoring each jab to an individual’s tumours. The mRNA technology prevents cancer from returning by enabling the patient’s immune system to identify and destroy cells.

Creation listened to the social media conversations of more than 90 healthcare professionals in the hours immediately following the news on May 31. Their research found that healthcare professionals reacted “overwhelmingly positively”, expressing optimism and excitement at the potential that the vaccine could bring to the oncology sphere.

Manchester-based immunologist and professor, Dr Sheena Cruickshank, described the introduction of the vaccines as a “complete game changer” for cancer therapy, pointing out their success against some types of melanoma. 

Richard Bentall, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield, described the trial’s commencement as “very big news” in the science sphere. 

However, despite overarching excitement following the news, Creation’s investigation found an underlying sense of apprehension that anti-vaccination sentiment could have an effect on the vaccine’s uptake among the public. In fact, the analysis found that one-in-ten HCP social media posts discussing the news referred to anti-vaccination sentiment or vaccine hesitancy. 

Reflecting the sentiment of these conversations was an HCP post in which the author, after noting the vaccine’s potential value, “really hoped” that vaccine hesitancy would “not dissuade people from taking [the vaccine] up”. The post itself garnered several interactions from fellow healthcare professionals, who liked and shared the post with their own audiences.

Commenting on the findings, Daniel Ghinn, CEO of Creation Healthcare, said:

“The introduction of targeted cancer vaccines for patients across England is a phenomenal step in cancer treatment, and should be celebrated. It is fantastic to see that this sentiment is echoed wholeheartedly in the social media conversations of healthcare professionals on the frontlines of delivering these vaccines to those who need them.

“However, while the surface sentiment paints a positive picture, understanding underlying concerns is also important. For one-in-ten of the posts analysed to include mentions of anti-vax sentiment or vaccine hesitancy suggests a tangible concern among healthcare professionals that attitudes could prove a stumbling block to the wider dispersion of the treatment. 

“Listening to these conversations is key to understanding where healthcare professionals believe problems lie in primary care provision. Identifying these issues is the first step towards solving them.”