‘I want to do everything I can to head off dementia’: why demand for the shingles vaccine is soaring
Demand for the shingles vaccine is rising in the UK, driven partly by emerging research suggesting a potential link between the vaccine and a reduced risk of dementia. While scientists caution that the evidence is not yet conclusive, the prospect of neuroprotection is fueling significant public interest.
Why it matters
This trend highlights how public health decisions are increasingly influenced by preliminary scientific studies and the urgent search for dementia prevention.
Dementia ‘I want to do everything I can to head off dementia’: why demand for the shingles vaccine is soaring Could a drug intended to prevent painful rashes also protect our brains as we get older? The signs are promising – but not conclusive. Yet that’s enough to be driving a boom in shingles jabs
Ian Sample Science editor Sun 11 Oct 2026 14.00 BST Share Prefer the Guardian on Google W hen Jenny, a 50-year-old marketing and branding professional from Cambridge, went for her shingles vaccine last year, an entirely different disease was on her mind. Having witnessed three of her four grandparents succumb to dementia, with all the distress that brought, she wants to avoid the same fate. She hopes the shingles vaccine might help.
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