The Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias in Alcalá de Henares has launched a prioritized vaccination circuit for patients with cardiovascular disease. By integrating flu immunizations directly into cardiac care pathways, the facility has established a pioneering initiative in the Community of Madrid to reduce the risk of cardiac events associated with respiratory infections.
Integration of Cardiac Care and Prevention
The program aligns with recommendations from the European Society of Cardiology, which identifies vaccination as an effective cardiovascular prevention strategy. Scientific evidence, including the IAMI clinical trial published in Circulation, indicates that early influenza vaccination following a heart attack or in high-risk patients is associated with a lower incidence of stent thrombosis, heart attack, and cardiovascular death. In addition to these findings, internal research conducted by the hospital’s Cardiology Service in 2021 concluded that the flu vaccine plays a decisive role in protecting against the rupture of atheroma plaques.
The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the hospital’s Cardiology, Preventive Medicine, and Cardiac Rehabilitation units, alongside the Dirección Asistencial Este (DAE) of the Primary Care Management. It operates under the broader AProxima strategy, which aims to ensure efficient, real-time coordination between hospital professionals and primary care providers.
Clinical Rationale and Preventive Strategy
Respiratory infections can trigger inflammatory processes that destabilize atherosclerotic plaques, temporarily heightening the risk of cardiovascular events. Medical data suggests that the risk of heart attack increases during the first week following a flu infection. Se estima que la vacunación frente a la gripe puede reducir el riesgo de infarto e ictus en la misma medida que el tratamiento farmacológico para el colesterol,
asserts Dr. Alberto García Lledó, head of the Cardiology Service and the primary driver of this work, which the hospital has been researching for nearly a decade.
Three Pathways to Vaccination
The hospital has established three distinct access points for cardiac patients to receive their seasonal flu vaccine during the campaign, which began on October 5:
- Hospital Discharge: Nurses will administer the vaccine to patients admitted for ischemic heart disease at the moment of their discharge.
- Cardiac Rehabilitation: Patients participating in the hospital’s rehabilitation program will receive the vaccine from the nursing team during their scheduled follow-ups.
- Primary Care Coordination: Through active tracking, the hospital will identify patients registered in its Heart Failure Unit and coordinate their immunization at their corresponding primary care centers, where primary care nurses will administer the dose.
Systemic Implementation and Continuity
The initiative embeds preventive care directly into the clinical process. By identifying patients and assessing their vaccination status upon their entry into the healthcare system, the hospital ensures immunization before they are discharged. The initiative functions as a deployment of the public health vaccination campaign coordinated by the Dirección General de Salud Pública, ensuring that the necessary vaccine doses are provided to the hospital for administration.
