CDC urges heart disease patients get vaccinated against the flu each year

Cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death in Florida in 2005, accounting for approximately 35 percent of all deaths in the state. People with heart disease are at a high risk for serious and potentially life-threatening complications from the flu. Therefore, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that heart disease patients get vaccinated against the flu each year. Mended Hearts, a national patient support group affiliated with the American Heart Association (AHA), is spreading the word among heart patients to get the flu shot.

"Heart health is always an important consideration among Central Florida residents. However, many people are still not taking basic steps - like getting a flu shot - to help protect themselves. As heart disease patients take stock of their heart health, we want to make sure that getting vaccinated against the flu becomes a priority, beginning this flu season," said Heathrow resident Mike Philpott, a member of the Orlando chapter of Mended Hearts and a heart disease patient.

Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD, MBBS, FACC, FSCAI, FCCP, FACP, an interventional cardiologist at Florida Hospital, has joined Mended Hearts to help spread this important message to the Central Florida community. "It is important for people with heart disease to do all they can to prevent against possible complications," explained Dr. Jamnadas. "The flu can be very dangerous for heart patients, and it is important that people with heart disease realize how valuable annual flu vaccination is for them."

This effort is part of the Mended Hearts initiative, 'I Heart Flu Shots,' which was first launched in 2007 to help educate people living with heart disease about the importance of getting a seasonal flu shot. The flu can worsen heart disease and can lead to complications including viral or bacterial pneumonia. Getting the flu shot is an important way for heart disease patients to help protect themselves. The AHA and the American College of Cardiology recommend that the more than 12 million people in the United States with cardiovascular conditions receive an annual flu shot. However, according to recent CDC data, approximately 40 percent of adults living with heart disease did not receive a flu shot in 2007.

Philpott adds, "I Heart Flu Shots is a public health initiative to help the citizens of Central Florida protect themselves against seasonal flu - an infection which can be prevented." Please visit www.IHeartFluShots.com to create a distribution of e-mail reminders to your loved ones to remind them to get their flu shots.

Flu shots are generally well-tolerated. People with allergies to chicken eggs or who have had a severe reaction (including Guillain-Barre syndrome) to a previous influenza vaccination, should not receive a flu shot.

Seasonal flu shots will be offered at the Orange County Health Department's Central Health Center located at 832 West Central Boulevard and will be available on a first-come, first-serve walk-in basis. The cost of the flu shot is $28.00 and Medicare is accepted. For more details, please call the Orange County Health Department at (407) 836-2600 or visit www.orchd.com/Immunization/.