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Guest column: More than just a flu shot — the unexpected power of vaccines

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What if your flu shot did more than protect you from the flu?

What if it also lowered your risk of a heart attack or stroke? What if the shingles vaccine helped protect you from dementia, or the hepatitis vaccine helped prevent liver cancer?

This may sound surprising, but research is showing that vaccines protect our health in many ways.

Vaccines are a well-known tool for preventing illnesses, but we’re now learning that their benefits reach even further. Research is finding that vaccines do more than help stop infections or reduce severe complications of an illness — they also help protect your long-term health.

Some illnesses, like the flu, can increase the risk of serious problems such as heart attack or stroke in the weeks after you get sick. Studies show that people who get the flu shot are much less likely to have these complications, even if they still catch the flu.

In other words, vaccines don’t just help prevent illness — they can make illness less harmful, especially for people who have an underlying disease.

How is this possible? Infections cause inflammation that puts extra stress on the heart, blood vessels, and immune system. Vaccines help the body respond in a safer way, lowering the risk of serious problems.

This is why Canadian health guidelines recommend routine flu, shingles, and pneumococcal vaccines for eligible adults to help protect against heart disease, stroke, and dementia.

Another powerful benefit of vaccination is cancer prevention. Some viruses cause cancer many years after the initial infection. Preventing those infections means preventing cancer itself.

Hepatitis B is a clear example. Chronic hepatitis B infection can cause serious liver damage, cirrhosis, and is a leading cause of liver cancer. The hepatitis B vaccine prevents this infection and protects the liver before damage can even begin.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is another virus linked to cancer. HPV can cause cervical cancer, anal cancer, head and neck cancers, and penile cancer. HPV‑related head and neck cancers are becoming more common, especially in men. The HPV vaccine is not just about preventing a common virus; it is a cancer‑prevention tool for everyone.

As science advances, vaccines remain one of the safest and most effective ways to protect your health.

Public health recommendations reflect the full picture: vaccines prevent infection, reduce severe complications, and lower the risk of diseases such as stroke, heart attack, dementia, and cancer. Staying up-to-date with recommended vaccines throughout your life is not only about avoiding illness today, but it is also an investment in your long‑term health and well‑being.

Dr. Mehdi Aloosh is medical officer of health at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit; as well as a public health and preventive medicine specialist, and a family physician.

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