Shingles vaccine may also offer protection against dementia, studies increasingly show

Key Points:

• Recent studies suggest the shingles vaccine may significantly reduce the risk of dementia in older adults by protecting brain health from inflammation caused by the varicella-zoster virus reactivation.
• Research involving over 500,000 U.S. nursing facility residents showed a 5.8% lower dementia risk within four years for those vaccinated against shingles, with similar findings reported in studies from Wales, Australia, and Canada.
• The vaccine may help prevent dementia by reducing neuroinflammation and the accumulation of Alzheimer’s-related proteins in the brain, while also boosting overall immunity and lowering risks of heart disease and stroke linked to shingles.
• Evidence indicates the vaccine’s protective effect against dementia may be stronger in women than men, possibly due to biological differences in vaccine response and dementia development.
• Despite its benefits, shingles vaccine uptake remains low, with fewer than half of eligible Americans vaccinated, highlighting the need for increased awareness and easier access to improve brain health outcomes.