Should the flu vaccine programme be extended for heart attack and stroke prevention?

Influenza and pneumococcal vaccines for preventing cardiovascular complications among patients with raised cardiovascular risk (Miss Jennifer Davidson)

Researchers are investigating if people with heart disease risk factors are vulnerable to flu-related heart attacks. Having a respiratory infection, such as flu or pneumonia, temporarily raises our risk of a heart attack or stroke. While the risk for most people is still very low, it is a sensible precaution for people with heart disease to protect themselves from such infections. That’s why anyone over the age of 65 or with an existing heart or circulatory disease is invited to have the flu jab each autumn. These researchers now want to investigate if people without underlying disease, but with risk factors such as high blood pressure, might also need this protection. Using health databases of rates of infection and subsequent heart attack or stroke, they will compare people with heart health risk factors, to people not at high risk of heart disease. They will also look at people with risk factors who have had the flu vaccine. The data from this study will inform public health policy for people who haven’t been diagnosed with a heart or circulatory disease, but are at increased risk of one. If they are shown to be vulnerable to heart attack or stroke following a respiratory infection, they may be added to the flu jab programme in future.