Flu jab: up to 45% lower heart attack risk in patients

A flu jab can reduce the risk of a heart attack by up to 45 per cent for people with existing health conditions, according to vaccine specialist Jaime Jesús Pérez Martín. Speaking in Madrid on 17 September, ahead of Spain's flu vaccination campaign, he said the jab also protects against stroke and complications such as pneumonia. For people at greater risk, flu can lead to hospital treatment or death.

Pérez Martín, president of the Spanish Association of Vaccinology, said flu usually lasts about a week, though some symptoms can continue for two weeks or longer. The danger rises with age, existing illnesses or pregnancy.

Flu leads to thousands of hospital admissions in Spain every year, more than meningitis, he said. Yet its threat is often played down because so many people have had it before.

The vaccine does not stop every case of flu. Its strongest protection is against the most serious outcomes, including hospital admission and death, Pérez Martín said. He put that protection at around 50 per cent, stressing that it is not complete.

Britain's flu vaccination programme prevented 100,000 hospital admissions during the 2024-2025 season, he said, although there is no comparable estimate for Spain.

Vaccination can also protect people who cannot have the jab themselves. Babies under six months are among those at high risk of hospital admission but cannot be vaccinated, Pérez Martín said. In their case, vaccination during pregnancy is the only way to protect them.

Topics: Health

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com