Extending funded flu vaccinations to all adults aged 50-64 could prevent nearly 1500 MIs and save the health system millions, according to NSW researchers.

A team from the University of NSW evaluated the economic impact of using the flu vaccination as a preventive measure for acute MI.

In findings presented at the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand scientific meeting in Adelaide on Friday, they said annually vaccinating all adults aged 50-64 under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) would:

Co-author Professor Timothy Tan, from the department of cardiology in Blacktown, NSW, said it was not well understood why the flu posed a serious threat to the heart.