Shingles vaccine linked to 24% lower dementia risk
A study of over 500,000 older adults in skilled nursing facilities found that those who received the Shingrix shingles vaccine had a 24% lower risk of dementia. This adds to growing evidence that certain vaccines may offer neuroprotective benefits.
Why it matters
If confirmed, this suggests that routine vaccination could serve as a low-cost, accessible public health strategy to reduce the incidence of dementia in aging populations.
Older adults who received a shingles vaccine after entering a skilled nursing facility were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the following four years, according to a new study. Researchers found that vaccinated adults had a 24% lower risk of dementia compared with those who did not receive the vaccine.
The analysis drew on Medicare data and health records from more than 500,000 adults age 66 and older who were admitted to skilled nursing facilities for either short-term or long-term care. Researchers compared patients who received at least one dose of the recombinant shingles vaccine, known as RZV or Shingrix, with patients who remained unvaccinated. Shingrix was introduced in 2017 and is currently the only shingles vaccine available on the market.
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