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Offer Flu Vaccine in Your Cardiology Practice
The AHA and ACC have jointly published a detailed, practical science advisory recommending flu vaccination for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Survey results show that the majority of cardiac patients are not being vaccinated against influenza, prompting the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology to provide more detailed guidance about meeting this evidence-based standard of care. A new AHA/ACC advisory features a simple table outlining how providers can obtain flu vaccine in the U.S.
Influenza vaccination protects against cardiovascular events in patients with known CVD, according to evidence from multiple studies, including the randomized, controlled FLUVACS trial (Journal Watch Cardiology Jul 26 2002). Consistent with that evidence, the CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination in patients with CVD (MMWR Recomm Rep 2006; 55:1). Current secondary-prevention guidelines from the AHA and ACC also include a class I recommendation for flu vaccine in patients with coronary and other atherosclerotic vascular disease (Journal Watch Cardiology Jun 8 2006). In this population, inactivated flu vaccine should be administered intramuscularly; intranasally administered live vaccine is contraindicated.
Comment: The clear benefit of influenza vaccination for heart patients obliges the cardiovascular-care community to provide all appropriate patients with the opportunity to be vaccinated. Toward that end, cardiology practices should stock flu vaccine and offer it to those who will benefit from it.
— Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, SM
Dr. Krumholz was the senior member of the writing group for this AHA/ACC advisory.
Published in Journal Watch Cardiology October 11, 2006
Citation(s):
Davis MM et al. Influenza vaccination as secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease: A science advisory from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology. J Am Coll Cardiol 2006 Oct 3; 48:1498-502.
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