EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that the decision for a cancer patient to take the vaccine depends on an individual's circumstances and that patients should consult with their doctor. The vaccine is otherwise generally recommended by medical groups for cancer patients.
-----
COVID-19 messaging is picking up as local health officials say the COVID-19 delta variant is in the Kansas City metro area.
“Yesterday we said we’re at the tipping point, well, we’re past the tipping point, we’re in trouble," said Dr. Steve Stites, University of Kansas Health System chief medical officer.
Understanding the impact of the virus along with health and safety protocols is not the issue for Raytown, Missouri resident Diana Johnson but the comments being made about the unvaccinated.
While vaccination rates in Kansas and Missouri are below the national average, Johnson says not every unvaccinated person, including herself, has a choice.
“Some of us want this vaccine, you know, and we can’t get it and we feel guilty and we’re tired of feeling guilty. I’m tired of feeling guilty," said Johnson, a breast cancer survivor.
Since the beginning of the year, Johnson has undergone surgeries and treatments for breast cancer. While she has reached milestones in her treatment, receiving the COVID-19 vaccine might be out of the question for her.
“I just got done with chemo last Monday, and I still can’t get it because my oncologist told me that I’m going on a chemo pill after I have surgery next month," Johnson said.
The University of Kansas Health System cancer doctors Dr. Joseph McGuirk and Dr. Ronald Chen recommend cancer patients receive the vaccine and wear a mask.
And while the American Cancer Society cites that many expert medical groups recommend that most cancer patients get a COVID-19 vaccine, patients should work with their doctor based on their individual circumstances.
READ: American Cancer Society Q & A about vaccines
“When I see and watch these reports, they don’t say nothing about the population out there that cannot get a vaccine," Johnson said.
This year alone, the American Cancer Society estimates more than 1.8 million new cancer cases and more than 600,000 deaths in the United States. Each day, that's about 5,200 cases and more than 1,600 deaths.
In Kansas, almost 17,000 new cases are estimated this year, and in Missouri, that number is closer to 37,000.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 49% of Americans are fully vaccinated.
