Studies raise questions about impact of statins on flu vaccination in seniors

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/idso-srq102715.php

Public Release: 29-Oct-2015
Studies raise questions about impact of statins on flu vaccination in seniors
Findings suggest statin use may hinder immune response, vaccine effectiveness
Infectious Diseases Society of America

A new pair of studies suggests that statins, drugs widely used to reduce cholesterol, may have a detrimental effect on the immune response to influenza vaccine and the vaccine's effectiveness at preventing serious illness in older adults. Published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the findings, if confirmed by additional research, may have implications for flu vaccine recommendations, guidelines for statin use around the time of vaccination, and future vaccine clinical trials in seniors.

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Statin users had a significantly reduced immune response to vaccination compared to those not taking statins, as measured by the level of antibodies to the flu vaccine strains in patients' blood three weeks after being vaccinated, the researchers observed. The effect was most dramatic in patients on synthetic statins, rather than naturally derived statins.

"Apparently, statins interfere with the response to influenza vaccine and lower the immune response, and this would seem to also result in a lower effectiveness of influenza vaccines," said Dr. Steven Black, MD, of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and lead author of the immune response study. If confirmed, the findings could support the preferential use of high-dose flu vaccine or vaccines containing adjuvants to boost immune response in the elderly, in an attempt to counteract the apparent effect, the study authors wrote.

A high-dose flu vaccine is approved for adults 65 and older in the U.S., as are several standard-dose vaccines. Adjuvanted flu vaccines are available in Europe and other countries but have not yet been licensed for use in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get a flu vaccine every season. Seniors are at particular risk for serious illness and complications from flu, including death.

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