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Vaccine Slashes Heart Events in Veterans
25 Jun
Summary
- COVID-19 vaccine linked to reduced heart events in US veterans.
- Veterans receiving COVID and flu shots together showed lower risk.
- Benefit greatest for those over 75 and with underlying conditions.
New research indicates that the 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine is associated with a reduction in serious heart-related events, specifically COVID-19-associated MACE, in U.S. veterans. This finding emerged from an analysis of health records from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The study compared nearly 350,000 veterans who received both the COVID and flu vaccines on the same day with approximately 700,000 who received only the flu vaccine. Over an eight-month period, those vaccinated against COVID-19 exhibited a 37.7% relative effectiveness against COVID-associated MACE.
Specifically, the COVID vaccine was linked to a 57.9% lower risk of cardiovascular death, a 38.5% lower risk of heart attack, and a 41.9% lower risk of hospitalization for heart failure. These benefits were most pronounced in veterans aged 75 and older, showing a 50.7% effectiveness against COVID-associated MACE.
While this observational study highlights an association, experts note that the reduced severity of recent COVID-19 variants and increased population immunity may contribute to the observed benefit. Healthcare professionals encourage annual discussions about vaccinations with healthcare teams.
