Flu shots may protect against severe COVID-19

2021 08 04 21 10 9313 Senior Elderly Vaccine 400

Getting the influenza vaccine may protect against severe COVID-19 effects, according to a study published August 3 in PLOS One.

The annual flu shot may reduce the risks of stroke, sepsis, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in patients with COVID-19. Also, those who received influenza vaccines were significantly less likely to visit emergency departments and be admitted to intensive care units, according to the findings.

Researchers used deidentified records from 74,754 patients around the world, including the U.S., Germany, Israel, and Singapore, to conduct a retrospective cohort analysis.

Those who were not vaccinated for the flu were up to 20% more likely to have been admitted to intensive care units than those who were inoculated. Those who did not receive flu shots were up to 58% more likely to visit emergency departments, 40% more likely to develop DVT, and 45% more likely to develop sepsis, the authors wrote. Getting the flu shot did not reduce the risk of death in COVID-19 patients.

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