Clinical teams reported independent observations that receipt of mRNA COVID‑19 vaccines near the time of checkpoint inhibitor therapy coincided with improved outcomes in advanced cancer patients. MD Anderson presented ESMO data indicating that mRNA vaccination enhanced the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, and a retrospective UF Health analysis found patients who got vaccines within 100 days before starting immunotherapy lived longer than unvaccinated counterparts. Investigators hypothesize vaccine‑driven innate and adaptive immune activation may help direct anti‑tumor responses; the mechanism remains under study. These findings prompt prospective evaluation of timed vaccination as a potential adjunct to immunotherapy.