Influenza vaccine in cardiovascular disease: Current evidence and practice in India

Influenza is a common trigger for cardiovascular events. Temporal association studies of influenza and cardiovascular events have well documented this phenomenon. More recently, randomised clinical trials of influenza vaccine have shown the benefit of immunisation in reducing recurrent cardiovascular events, especially in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Despite this overwhelming benefit, its uptake in India is very low. This could be due to a lack of awareness and paucity of evidence of its benefit in tropical countries like India, where the influenza season is variable and spread throughout the year. In this review, we explore these aspects of influenza and cardiovascular diseases and discuss the way ahead.