COVID-19 vaccine could be crucial shield for cancer patients | Morning Newsletter

Good morning.

First: People with cancer are a high-risk group for COVID-19. What are the benefits and risks, then, if they get the vaccine?

Second: It appears that this is not the end of Carson Wentz in Philly. Here’s what the Eagles will have to face.

And: There’s a post-election showdown in Pennsylvania, and it’s not about the presidential election results.

— Ashley Hoffman (@_ashleyhoffman, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

COVID-19 is twice as likely to be fatal for patients who also have cancer than patients who don’t. So is the COVID-19 vaccine safe for this high-risk group given the strain on immune systems?

There’s no quick answer yet because people with cancer haven’t been included in trials for obvious reasons. On top of that, they don’t have priority access, so it could be months before they even get to make the vaccine call. Health reporter Marie McCullough turned to Tracey L. Evans, director of thoracic oncology research at Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, for her expert answers on the benefits and risks of the COVID-19 vaccine for those with cancer and those who have finished treatment.

She says that the biggest concern isn’t whether potential side-effects could be worse than the disease, but how well people with cancer will respond to the vaccine.

Getting rid of Carson Wentz is unlikely. Eagles general manager Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson said as much yesterday when they shot down trade rumblings, insisting that their offseason goal would be “to get him right.”

Whether they can is a question that the Eagles will continue to invest in. A lot. (He’s expensive to keep and he’d be expensive to trade.) Wentz’s performance has elicited some of that trademark rage that true fans are known for. It wasn’t even that long ago that he did get the team in position to win the whole thing at the Super Bowl thanks to some improvisation with backup Nick Foles.

That inspired offense outdid Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots and fans ascended to historic highs aboard greased poles on that deliriously happy night. It ended the endless quest for glory from fans who would never quit their torturous captor of a team. Now, as the Iggles have closed out their 4-11-1 season, it’s the worst it’s been since 2012, and an unhappy picture. But it looks as if they’ll have to find a way to work with Wentz.

Eagles writer Les Bowen analyzes what Roseman and Pederson have to say in his piece about what it could all mean in 2021.

We dig this shot of the city waking up to a new day. Thanks for sharing this @anthony.difilippo.

Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and we’ll pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout-out!

“Despite its detail, the report relays observations, but points no fingers at any one individual or office. In fact, the report is like a crime scene with no fingerprints.” — The Inquirer Editorial Board, a group of journalists who work separately from the newsroom, writes that the problem with the report on Philly police handling of protests is that it doesn’t tell us who’s responsible for structural failures, and who needs to pay.

The man above rides his bike with his best buddy, Bosco, in that bright-blue trailer for 10 miles every single day.

Karl Muehter of Clementon, Camden County, affectionately calls the rescue dog he adopted years ago by multiple power titles, including the king, the mayor, but above all, he’s his companion. Bosco perked up Karl from the beginning, and he’s been finding solace in his bond with the pooch on his lifelong push for sobriety. They’ve been through plenty together. Worst of all, a hit-and-run driver barreled into them both this year, but it hasn’t stopped them.

Muehter will be eligible for a driver’s license again when he’s 62. But they have a pretty sweet ride already.