Study Links Slight Increase in Stroke Risk in Seniors to Simultaneous COVID-19 and Flu Vaccination

FDA study reveals approximately 3 strokes per 100,000 vaccine doses, risk primarily driven by high-dose or adjuvanted flu shots, researchers advise continued vaccination due to far greater risks posed by COVID-19 and influenza.

• A study by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found a very slight increase in the risk of stroke in seniors who received simultaneous COVID-19 and flu vaccinations—approximately 3 strokes per 100,000 vaccine doses—primarily driven by high-dose or adjuvanted flu shots.
• The risk appears more prominent in seniors aged 85 and older, but the absolute risk level remains minuscule and trivial compared to the risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 or influenza.
• When looking at adults 65 and older who only received a high-dose flu shot, the extra risk amounted to 1-2 strokes for every 100,000 doses.
• Despite these findings, other recent studies have not found any additional risk of stroke after vaccination for COVID-19, influenza, or both, and the risk of severe disease from either virus significantly outweighs any potential vaccine-associated risks.
• If people are concerned, experts suggest considering receiving each vaccination at different times; however, it is underscored that the benefits of getting both vaccines vastly outweigh the slight stroke risk detected in the study.

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