Your Flu Shot Protects More Than Your Lungs

Most people think of influenza (the flu), COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (or COVID and RSV) shots as ways to avoid a week of fever, aches and coughing. That's true. But doctors are learning something important: these vaccines also help protect your heart and your blood vessels. 

How an infection can hurt your heart 

When you catch the flu, COVID-19 or RSV, your body fights back with inflammation. That's normal. But inflammation also makes your blood stickier and puts stress on your heart. If you already have plaque built up in your arteries, that stress can cause a clot. The result can be a heart attack, a stroke, or a flare-up of heart failure. 

This is why the risk of a heart attack goes up sharply in the days and weeks after a serious respiratory infection, especially in older adults and people with diabetes, lung disease or existing heart problems. 

How your flu shot may help protect your heart 

Research suggests that vaccines against respiratory infections may also help protect your heart, especially if you are older or already have heart disease. 

But what about reports of heart problems after COVID-19 vaccination? In rare cases, the mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 can cause swelling of the heart muscle called myocarditis (especially in young men). However, large studies have found no increased risk of heart attacks or strokes after vaccination and COVID-19 vaccination. 

The vaccines you need depend on your age, health and which ones you’ve already received. 

Which vaccines should you get 

Help protect your lungs and your heart this fall, ask your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist which vaccines are right for you.