Could Statin Use Hinder the Flu Vaccine?

Statins could have a significant, negative impact on the immune response to the influenza vaccine that could impede the vaccine’s ability to prevent serious illness in older adults, according to 2 recent studies.

In the first study, researchers evaluated data from around 6961 adults over the age of 65 in 4 different countries.¹ Investigators focused on the impact of statins on the immune responses of patients after being immunized against the flu.
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The study showed that patients using statins had a significantly decreased immune response to vaccination compared to patients who did not take the medication. This was measured by observing the level of antibodies to flu strains in participants’ blood at the 3-week mark post vaccination.

In the second study, researchers investigated how statin use impacted the flu vaccine’s ability to prevent major respiratory illness.²

The study included data about medically attended, acute respiratory illness in 137,488 patients who were enrolled in a managed care organization in Georgia, as well as information about statin prescriptions and flu vaccination.

Researchers found that those patients who used statins did not benefit from the full effectiveness of the flu vaccine and were less protected from respiratory illness than those not taking statins.

The studies were published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

-Michelle Canales Butcher

Reference:
1. Black S, Nicolay U, Giudice GD, Rappuoli R. Influence of statins on influenza vaccine response in elderly individuals. Journal of Infectious Diseases. October 29, 2015 [epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv456.

2. Omer SB, Phadke VK, Bednarczyk RA, et al. Impact of statins on influenza vaccine effectiveness against medically attended acute respiratory illness. Journal of Infectious Diseases. October 29, 2015 [epub ahead of print]. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiv457.