Eduardo Sanchez, M.D., M.P.H., FAAFP, American Heart Association Chief Medical Officer for Prevention copyright American Heart Association "A few things about flu vaccine. Sometimes you will get a version of influenza whose severity and length will be shortened by having been vaccinated. That's a good thing. And we are reminded over and over that in persons with cardiovascular disease and persons who have had events like heart attacks and strokes, the consequence of influenza can be far worse than just being sick for seven to 10 days. It can be pneumonia, it can be death, and the way to avert that is to get a flu vaccine."