Flu vaccine for CLL and seniors

[Ezjacobs]

I have CLL and have been concerned about the flu. Because CLLers don't respond as strongly as others to the vaccine it was suggested to me to get a second shot which I did about 5 months after the first. (Both were the high dose for seniors). There is a new vaccine specially for seniors which i was not able to find called Fluad.

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

In Ontario, Fluad is used primarily for people over 65 in care facilities... it is similar to the high dose you had...

durham.ca/departments/healt...

[Kwenda]

There is now yet another possible reason for getting the flu vaccination..

Heart protection against Afib, or Atrial fibrillation.

This being due that atrial fibrillation is a well recognized risk factor for developing complications from influenza, and becoming sick with the flu just may be associated with an increased risk for developing Afib.

‘Influenza vaccination was consistently associated with a lower risk for Afib, suggesting that getting a flu shot may reduce at-risk patients' risk for developing the arrhythmia, researcher Su-Jung Chen, MD, of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues wrote in the journal Heart Rhythm, published online.

"The present study represents the first population-based study investigating the association between influenza infection, vaccination, and occurrence of AF," the researchers wrote. "Influenza vaccination may be a useful way to reduce the AF burden associated with influenza infection and high-risk patients should be encouraged to receive influenza vaccination annually."

The study included 11,374 patients with newly diagnosed Afib.

Source Reference: Chan TY, et al "The association between influenza infection, vaccination and atrial fibrillation: a nationwide case-control study" Heart Rhythm 2016; DOI: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2016.01.026.

Dick