A new study showed a 20% reduction in deaths in patients who had a stroke and took two doses of the influenza vaccine. Immunization in people already hospitalized has proven to be efficient as a cardiovascular and respiratory prevention tool, especially in people with pre-existing diseases.
Carried out by Einstein Hospital Israelita and sent to CNN Brazilthe VIP-ACS study showed that individuals who had and took the vaccine showed a reduction in the number of deaths. 1,801 individuals hospitalized in the Southeast, South, Northeast and Central-West regions, due to acute coronary syndrome, were analyzed. Among these patients, 67 had a history of stroke.
Participants were divided into two groups: one that received two applications of the flu vaccine while still in the hospital, while the other received the standard immunization approximately 30 days after hospitalization. The 12-month follow-up after vaccination showed that there were no significant clinical differences in those who had not experienced previous episodes of stroke.
In the case of those who had previously had a stroke, the results had a positive response. “With influenza vaccination at a double dose, the individuals involved in the research had 20% less blood pressure, suggesting a potential benefit to the population at high cardiovascular risk”, pointed out Henrique Fonseca, leader of the Center for Clinical Studies in Immunology and Vaccines at the Academic Research Organization (ARO), at Einstein, and senior author of the publication.
“A patient hospitalized for a myocardial infarction, but with a history of stroke, has a 40% chance of having another cardiovascular or respiratory event,” he continued.
Also author of the study, Luiz Vicente Rizzo, executive director of Research at Einstein, assessed that the study reinforced the importance of immunization across the entire population. “The results of the VIP-ACS study demonstrate that vaccination even during hospitalization after a heart attack is a safe and feasible strategy, with the potential to significantly increase protection,” he declared.
He added: “By incorporating this practice into standard hospital care, we advance not only individual care, but also a strategic public health agenda, with the potential to increase vaccination coverage in vulnerable populations and reduce new hospitalizations, complications and costs associated with cardiovascular disease.”
The results of the study were published in a scientific article in the International Journal of Stroke, of the World Stroke Organization. It was carried out within the scope of the Support Program for the Institutional Development of the Unified Health System (Proadi-SUS), of the Ministry of Health, and carried out in partnership with 30 research centers spread across Brazil.
