Overview

• Presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Madrid, the review screened 19 studies and meta-analysed nine, most of them observational.
• Vaccination was associated with an 18% lower risk of cardiovascular events in adults aged 18 and over, and 16% in those 50 and older.
• In studies reporting absolute risk, results translated to roughly 1.2 to 2.2 fewer heart attacks or strokes per 1,000 person-years.
• Authors cautioned that the evidence is largely observational and not designed to establish causality, underscoring the need for randomized trials.
• The analysis included data on both recombinant (Shingrix) and live attenuated (Zostavax) vaccines, and coincides with NHS England making 18–49-year-olds with severe immunosuppression eligible for vaccination from 1 September.