re: Flu vaccine and covid

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We analyzed data from 92,664 clinically and molecularly confirmed Covid-19 cases in Brazil to understand the potential associations between influenza vaccination and Covid-19 outcomes. Controlling for health facility of treatment, comorbidities as well as an extensive range of sociodemographic factors, we show that patients who received a recent influenza vaccine experienced on average 8% lower odds of needing intensive care treatment (95% CIs [0.86, 0.99]), 18% lower odds of requiring invasive respiratory support (0.74, 0.88) and 17% lower odds of death (0.75, 0.89). Large scale promotion of influenza vaccines seems advisable, especially in populations at high risk of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Under this setting, we hypothesize that children generate multifactorial immunity with the repeated influenza exposure that would offer bystander immune response in case they became infected with the new SARS-CoV-2. It might be possible also that individuals who received prior Flu vaccination might show mild severity of COVID-19 because of Flu-induced bystander effect of the generated immune responses which itself might cross react against SARS-CoV-2. Due to this cross reactivity between Flu and SARS-CoV-2, we suggest that the Flu-induced bystander immunity is more of beneficial effects to COVID-19 than those suggested by MMR and BCG vaccines

Given the safety of Flu vaccine in adult, we recommend the use of Flu vaccine, at least in part, as a bystander adjuvant to minimize the severity of COVID-19 disease.

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