Evaluating the Impact of Statin Use on Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness and Influenza Infection in Older Adults

BACKGROUND: Older adults are recommended to receive influenza vaccination annually, and many use statins.

Statins have immunomodulatory properties that might modify influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) and alter influenza infection risk.

METHODS: Using the test-negative design and linked laboratory and health administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, we estimated VE against laboratory-confirmed influenza among community-dwelling statin users and nonusers aged ≥66 years during the 2010–2011 to 2018–2019 influenza seasons.

We also estimated the odds ratio for influenza infection comparing statin users and nonusers by vaccination status.

RESULTS: Among persons tested for influenza across the 9 seasons, 54 243 had continuous statin exposure before testing and 48 469 were deemed unexposed.

The VE against laboratory-confirmed influenza was similar between statin users and nonusers (17% [95% confidence interval, 13%–20%] and 17% [13%–21%] respectively; test for interaction, P = .87).

In both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons, statin users had higher odds of laboratory-confirmed influenza than nonusers (odds ratios for vaccinated and unvaccinated persons 1.15 [95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.21] and 1.15 [1.10–1.20], respectively).

These findings were consistent by mean daily dose and statin type.

VE did not differ between users and nonusers of other cardiovascular drugs, except for β-blockers.

We did not observe that vaccinated and unvaccinated users of these drugs had increased odds of influenza, except for unvaccinated β-blocker users.

CONCLUSIONS: Influenza VE did not differ between statin users and nonusers.

Statin use was associated with increased odds of laboratory-confirmed influenza in vaccinated and unvaccinated persons, but these associations might be affected by residual confounding.