Flu Vaccination Shows Cardiovascular Benefits in Recent Studies

Three recent studies highlight the cardiovascular benefits of influenza vaccination, particularly high-dose formulations and in-hospital administration. High-dose vaccines, recommended for adults aged 65 and older, contain roughly four times the antigen of standard-dose vaccines and were associated with lower rates of myocarditis and cardiovascular events.

In the Pragmatic Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Effectiveness of High-Dose Influenza Vaccines (DANFLU-2) trial, an extensive Danish study including 332,438 participants, high-dose influenza vaccination reduced the incidence of myocarditis or pericarditis compared with standard-dose vaccination.

A secondary analysis of the same cohort found slightly lower cardiovascular hospitalization rates (1.30% vs 1.40%) and cardiorespiratory admissions (2.25% vs 2.38%) among high-dose recipients, suggesting potential clinical benefits even for patients with a history of cardiovascular disease.

Separately, a study in China examined 7,771 patients hospitalized with acute heart failure and found that those who received in-hospital influenza vaccination had a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality or hospital readmission over 12 months compared with usual care, and serious adverse events were significantly fewer in the vaccinated group.

These studies collectively support using influenza vaccination to protect cardiovascular health, particularly in older adults and patients hospitalized with acute heart failure. High-dose vaccines may offer additional benefits in preventing myocarditis and cardiovascular events, emphasizing the importance of vaccination as part of comprehensive cardiovascular care.

Reference:

Soucheray S. Flu vaccines show benefits for the heart in new studies. CIDRAP; 2025 Sep 3. Available from: https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-general/flu-vaccines-show-benefits-heart-new-studies

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-general/flu-vaccines-show-benefits-heart-new-studies