Influenza vaccines may protect against cardiovascular diseases: The evidence is mounting and should be known by the Canadian public health community

Abstract

Evidence on the protective effect of influenza vaccines to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) is mounting. We identified 28 systematic reviews/meta-analyses on the effect of influenza vaccines on CVD using different research questions, data sources, selection criteria and outcomes. Most results leaned towards a protective effect. Results of recently published experimental and observational studies not included in these reviews were going in the same direction. The evidence is very robust for cardiovascular deaths and nonfatal myocardial infarction in high-risk individuals, but lower for heart failure, arrhythmia, and stroke and also for all outcomes in low-risk adults. There is also limited evidence for pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines and evidence has to be collected from ongoing trials on respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. Up to now, this effect has not been considered in economic evaluations of influenza vaccines and its inclusion may change CVD results markedly. This effect is not mentioned in the Canadian Immunization Guide and not known by a majority of vaccinators. The objective of this short commentary is to alert the Canadian public health community and to provide information that could be used at the field level to promote the usefulness of influenza vaccines.