Influenza Vaccine Provides Roadmap in COVID-19 Prevention

Influenza vaccine development leads to future efforts targeted at developing vaccines for COVID-19, said researchers. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The team evaluated whether existing flu trial networks could offer primary and secondary prevention strategies for cardiovascular disease patients at risk of complications from Covid-19.

Avian Influenza / Bird Flu-Causes-Symptoms-Treatment- FAQs
Bird flu (avian influenza/avian flu) is a disease caused by an influenza virus (H5N1) that primarily affects birds but can infect humans also.

‘Influenza vaccine was found to provide the roadmap to prevent COVID-19. ’

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The Need for Flu Vaccine

Influenza kills 6,50,000 people every year globally and is cited as a top 10 leading cause of death among people of all ages, according to WHO. Influenza is linked to population-level increases in cardiovascular hospitalization and mortality.

For these reasons, the guidelines recommend people to get their annual flu vaccine to cut influenza-like illness risk

Influenza Vaccine May Not Raise the Risk of COVID-19
Receiving the influenza vaccine does not increase a person's risk for contracting COVID-19 or worsen associated morbidity or mortality.

Seasonal influenza and coronavirus are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, found previous studies.

Influenza infection and COVID-19 share similar symptoms at the outset, primarily fever, cough, and shortness of breath. But COVID-19 is more contagious than the flu pandemic.

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"Although Covid-19 and other respiratory virus infections are associated with acute myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular events, influenza has the best evidence of a safe vaccine option for cardiovascular risk reduction to date," said study author Jacob A. Udell from the University of Toronto in Canada.

According to the team, three international cardiovascular outcome trials examine the cardioprotective effects of different influenza vaccine formulations.

Coronavirus
Coronaviruses infect animals, humans, and birds. Human coronaviruses, such as SARS, MERS, and 2019-nCoV cause respiratory distress and even death. The S protein is the infectious agent of the virus.

"Three large ongoing influenza vaccine cardiovascular outcome trials have an opportunity to contribute further to our understanding of the underlying comorbidities in these patients that may be driving morbidity and mortality associated with Covid-19 infection," Udell said.

"While developing new vaccines, we will also definitively learn soon whether influenza vaccination is an effective, low-cost, widely available therapy that reduces cardiovascular risk, which may further help prevent fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular complications of Covid-19," Udell noted.

Source-Medindia