Getting A Flu Shot May Lower Your Risk Of Stroke, Study Finds - HuffPost

The research found that people who got their flu shot were less likely to have a stroke.

Researchers compared the date of the stroke with the date of the flu shot to see if participants had gotten their vaccination at least 14 days before the stroke.

Approximately 41.4% of people who had a stroke during the study’s time period got their flu shot compared to 40.5% of people who had not had a stroke.

However, after adjusting for issues like vascular-related conditions (people in the vaccinated group tended to have more stroke risk factors like high blood pressure or cholesterol), it was found that those who got their annual flu shot were 12% less likely to have a stroke than those who did not get the vaccine.

Additionally, not all vaccines lead to a reduced stroke risk — the pneumonia vaccine did not have the same effect, researchers found, which leads them to believe there is a connection between the flu vaccine and a lower risk of stroke.

“These results are yet another reason for people to get their yearly flu shot, especially if they are at an increased risk of stroke,” de Abajo said in a statement