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Influenza

High-Dose Influenza Vaccine Shows Promising Results in Reducing Cardiovascular Hospitalizations

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Recent research has shed light on the effectiveness of high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV) in preventing hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases in older adults. A Danish study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Cardiology has found that HD-IIV may offer a 5.7% relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) against hospitalization for any cardiorespiratory disease, compared to standard-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (SD-IIV). Furthermore, the study revealed a 7.5% rVE against hospitalization for any cardiovascular disease and a 19.5% rVE against hospitalization for heart failure. These findings suggest that HD-IIV could be a valuable tool in reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases in older adults.

Key Takeaways:

  • The high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV) demonstrated a 5.7% relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) against hospitalization for any cardiorespiratory disease compared to standard-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (SD-IIV).
  • HD-IIV had a 7.5% rVE against hospitalization for any cardiovascular disease, and a 19.5% rVE against hospitalization for heart failure.
  • The study found that HD-IIV reduced the incidence of cardiorespiratory hospitalization among older adults, driven by a lower incidence of cardiovascular hospitalizations, particularly heart failure hospitalizations.
  • The study was a prespecified secondary analysis of the DANFLU-2 randomized clinical trial (RCT), which included 332,438 participants aged 65 years and older.
  • The participants were randomized to receive either HD-IIV or SD-IIV, and the study found that HD-IIV did not significantly reduce the primary end point of hospitalization for influenza or pneumonia.

Statistics:

  • Over 332,438 older adults (mean age, 73.7 years) were included in the study.
  • 51.4% of participants were male.
  • 27.4% of participants had a history of cardiovascular disease.
  • The incidence of hospitalization for any cardiorespiratory disease was lower in the HD-IIV group than the SD-IIV group (rVE, 5.7% [95% CI, 1.4% to 9.9%]).
  • Hospitalization for any cardiovascular disease occurred in 14.3% of participants in the SD-IIV group and 13.3% in the HD-IIV group.

Sources:

  • High-Dose vs Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccine and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Older Adults: A Prespecified Secondary Analysis of the DANFLU-2 Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Cardiology, 2025.
  • Copenhagen University Hospital - Herlev and Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark.
  • JAMA Cardiology, Amer Medical Assoc, 330 N Wabash Ave, Ste 39300, Chicago, IL 60611-5885, USA.
  • ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05517174.

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