Flu shots: Especially important if you have heart disease

If you have heart disease, a flu shot can reduce your risk of influenza complications. Learn the benefits of a flu shot and when to get one.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

The flu, also called influenza, is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs. It's caused by a virus. The flu is a type of respiratory infection. It spreads easily. That means it's contagious.

If you have heart disease, it's important to take steps to protect yourself against the flu. Complications from the flu are more likely in people with heart disease.

You can reduce your risk of flu and its complications by getting an annual flu vaccine. Although the flu vaccine isn't 100% effective, it's still your best defense against the flu. Health care providers have long recommended the vaccine for older adults and other high-risk groups, including those with heart disease.

Why are flu shots important for those with heart disease?

If you have heart disease, you're more likely to develop complications from the flu. Complications from the flu include:

  • Pneumonia
  • Bronchitis
  • Lung failure
  • Heart attack
  • Death

Having the flu also can make heart failure, diabetes, asthma or other conditions worse.

Researchers actively study the benefits and risks of yearly flu vaccines among people with heart disease, including heart failure. Some studies show that getting a yearly flu shot lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke and heart-related death in those with heart disease. But more studies are needed.

Is the flu shot safe if I have heart disease?

Flu shots are safe for most people who have heart disease.

The nasal spray flu vaccine (FluMist) isn't recommended for people with heart disease or who are 65 years and older. Unlike the flu shot, the nasal spray flu vaccine is made with a live virus.

The flu shot is usually given in the upper arm. Some people get temporary side effects. These may include mild soreness at the injection site, muscle aches or a mild fever. You can't get the flu or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from a flu vaccine.

Check with your health care provider before getting a flu shot if:

  • You have or think you have COVID-19
  • You've had a serious allergic reaction to the flu vaccine in the past
  • You had Guillain-Barre syndrome develop after getting a flu shot
  • You have a fever when you go to get a flu shot

You can still get a flu shot if you're allergic to eggs.

When should I get a flu shot?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a yearly flu vaccine for everyone age 6 months or older. The agency recommends a high-dose flu vaccine for adults age 65 and older, if available.

It's best to get a flu vaccine in September or October. However, if flu shots aren't yet available or you haven't had one yet, you can still get a flu shot until January or sometimes later.

It's more important than ever to get a flu vaccine. Both the flu and COVID-19 — another respiratory infection — may be spreading at the same time. The two infections can cause similar symptoms. A flu shot could reduce symptoms that might be confused with those caused by COVID-19. However, the flu vaccine does not prevent COVID-19.

If you live with or care for someone who has heart disease, you should get a yearly flu vaccine too. Getting one helps lower the risk of infection for you and those around you.

Do I have to get a flu shot from my cardiologist?

You don't have to get your flu shot from your cardiologist. The flu shot is available at primary care provider offices, public health departments and some pharmacies. Call first to determine if the flu vaccine is available and if you need an appointment.

Oct. 12, 2022 See more In-depth

See also

  1. Angina
  2. Atkins Diet
  3. Automated external defibrillators: Do you need an AED?
  4. Blood Basics
  5. Blood tests for heart disease
  6. Bradycardia
  7. Transplant advances
  8. Butter vs. margarine
  9. Calcium supplements: A risk factor for heart attack?
  10. Can vitamins help prevent a heart attack?
  11. Cardiac ablation
  12. Cardiac amyloidosis — Treatment options
  13. Cardiac amyloidosis — What is amyloid and how does it affect the heart
  14. Cardiac catheterization
  15. Cardioversion
  16. Chelation therapy for heart disease: Does it work?
  17. Chest X-rays
  18. Complete blood count (CBC)
  19. Coronary angiogram
  20. Coronary angioplasty and stents
  21. Coronary artery bypass surgery
  22. Coronary artery spasm: Cause for concern?
  23. Cough
  24. CT scan
  25. Daily aspirin therapy
  26. Dizziness
  27. Don't get tricked by these 3 heart-health myths
  28. Echocardiogram
  29. Ejection fraction: What does it measure?
  30. Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
  31. Heart transplant to treat dilated cardiomyopathy: Elmo's story
  32. Erectile dysfunction: A sign of heart disease?
  33. Exercise and chronic disease
  34. Fasting diet: Can it improve my heart health?
  35. Fatigue
  36. Flu Shot Prevents Heart Attack
  37. Grass-fed beef
  38. Healthy Heart for Life!
  39. Heart arrhythmia
  40. Heart attack
  41. Heart attack prevention: Should I avoid secondhand smoke?
  42. Heart attack symptoms
  43. Heart Attack Timing
  44. Heart disease
  45. Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors
  46. Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease
  47. Heart murmurs
  48. Heart transplant
  49. Herbal supplements and heart drugs
  50. Holter monitor
  51. Honey: An effective cough remedy?
  52. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs)
  53. Leg swelling
  54. Mediterranean diet
  55. Menus for heart-healthy eating
  56. NSAIDs: Do they increase my risk of heart attack and stroke?
  57. Nuclear stress test
  58. Numbness
  59. Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health
  60. Omega-3 in fish
  61. Omega-6 fatty acids
  62. Organ transplant in highly sensitized patients
  63. Pacemaker
  64. Pericardial effusion
  65. Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
  66. Pseudoaneurysm: What causes it?
  67. Pulmonary edema
  68. Red wine, antioxidants and resveratrol
  69. Shortness of breath
  70. Silent heart attack
  71. Sitting risks: How harmful is too much sitting?
  72. Statins
  73. Heart disease prevention
  74. Stress symptoms
  75. Stress test
  76. Tachycardia
  77. The Last Brother's Heart
  78. Integrative approaches to treating pain
  79. Nutrition and pain
  80. Pain rehabilitation
  81. Self-care approaches to treating pain
  82. Trans fat
  83. Triathlete transplant
  84. Coronary angioplasty
  85. Video: Heart and circulatory system