getting vaccinated reduces strokes, heart attacks and blood clots

The Spanish Association of Vaccinology (AEV) has highlighted that the vaccines of the flu and Covid-19 have benefits beyond preventing the diseases for which they were designed, since the flu also reduces the risk of stroke and heart attackwhile that of Covid reduces the thromboembolic complications.

In this way, the AEV seeks to raise awareness among the population about the importance of getting vaccinated against respiratory infections, with the aim of increasing coverage rates for winter, through an informative campaign on social networks, which complements the initiative The best plan for this winter. Get vaccinated.

In the case of the flu vaccine, a disease that causes each season 29,000 hospitalizations, 2,200 ICU admissions and 1,600 deaths, the president of the AEV, Jaime Pérez, has detailed that there is evidence of its benefits against cardiovascular events, reducing the risk of these by 34% in the 12 months after its administration.

Along these lines, other studies suggest that it can reduce between 12 and a 16% the risk of ischemic stroke in the elderly, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack. “Getting vaccinated against the flu can be as beneficial for our cardiovascular health as quitting smoking,” he stressed. Perezreferring to research presented a few years ago at the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology.

Regarding the vaccine against Covid-19, the Spanish Association of Vaccinology has indicated that it also has other associated benefitssuch as attenuating arterial and venous events and reducing thromboembolic complications.

Risks associated with Covid and flu

The AEV has warned that respiratory infections also trigger cardiovascular events and deaths. Thus, the Covid-19 increases the short-term risk of heart failure and blood clots, while pneumococcus is a leading cause of fatal pneumonia in the elderly, and influenza and pneumonia can increase cardiovascular events by up to 30%.

Regarding the child population, experts have detailed that more than 80% of children admitted for flu during the season 2023-2024 They were previously healthy children. For this reason, they have emphasized the recommendation to vaccinate children between six and 59 months against the flu.

As for those older than 65 years old, have recalled that the risk of death associated with the flu is multiplied by five if there is chronic heart disease, by twelve if there is chronic lung disease, or by twenty if both coexist.

The AEV has recommended vaccination against influenza for people over the age of 60 years and those who present risk factors, in addition to urging them to review their vaccination status against pneumococcus, while also advising those over 70 immunization against Covid-19. He has also asked healthcare professionals to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their patients, and recommends that they do the same.