Case Report of COVID-19 Vaccination in a Rituximab-treated Mantle Cell Lymphoma Patient

Abstract

Patients with hematological malignancy have been reported to have impaired vaccine responses. Similarly, patients with recent prior exposure to rituximab have been reported to have impaired vaccine responses. Here, we report a case of a mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) patient with recent rituximab therapy who did not have an antibody response to the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine, but had a T cell response consistent with prior infection. Clinicians should caution patients with hematological malignancy and/or prior rituximab therapy that COVID-19 vaccination may not be effective in generating protective antibodies. The possibility of a T cell immune response to vaccination in patients with hematological malignancy treated with rituximab warrants further investigation.