heart failure: Annual flu vaccine may cut the risk of premature death

A new study suggests that flu vaccinations may be of great benefit particularly to people with heart problems. Studies have shown that people with heart failure are more vulnerable flu complications compared to those who do not have the condition. Now, a new study claimed that annual flu shot can reduce the risk of premature death in people recently diagnosed with heart failure by up to 18 per cent.

The research published in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) journal Circulation also found that annual flu shots reduced patients’ risk of dying from any cause or from cardiovascular disease by 19 per cent. Earlier in 2018, researchers from the University of Toronto have linked heart attacks to influenza infection in a ground-breaking study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Studies found that infection with influenza can substantially increase the risk for hospitalisations and death in patients with heart failure.

Flu complications: Who’s most at risk?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seniors are more likely to die or develop serious complications from flu than younger adults. Moreover, pregnant women, young children, individuals with compromised immune system, adults and children with heart or lung disease are at risk of flu complications.


The most common flu complications are viral or bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, sinus and ear infections, especially in children. Other serious possible complications triggered by flu can include kidney failure or multi-organ failure, inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), brain (encephalitis) or muscle (myositis, rhabdomyolysis). Flu can also worsen long-term conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma, or diabetes