If a patient is undergoing treatment for cancer, is it safe to vaccinate her or him against influenza?

People with cancer need to be protected from influenza. All cancer patients should receive an age-appropriate inactivated or recombinant influenza vaccine. They should not be given the live virus vaccine, FluMist (LAIV). Cancer patients and survivors are at higher risk for complications from influenza, including hospitalization and death. Here is a helpful CDC web page on cancer and influenza for patients: www.cdc.gov/cancer/flu.