A new study from CaHRU published online this month in the journal Vaccine, ‘Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination and risk of stroke or transient ischaemic attack – matched case-control study’ has shown that influenza vaccination is associated with a 24% reduction in risk of stroke. The study involved statistical analysis of a large routine primary care dataset from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (previously the General Practice Research Database).
The analysis was carried out by Dr Zahid Asghar (senior lecturer and statistician at CaHRU pictured left) supported by Dr Carol Coupland (University of Nottingham).This was the latest in a series of studies funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Research for Patient Benefit Programme led by Professor Niroshan Siriwardena into the link between influenza vaccination and cardiovascular disease.
Previous studies published in Vaccine and the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed a similar link between influenza vaccination and prevention of acute myocardial infarction (‘heart attack’). The study provides further reasons for people to have their flu jab each autumn.