Evidence mounts that shingles vaccines protect against dementia
Being immunised against shingles has been linked to a reduced dementia risk before and now a study suggests that the newer vaccine wards off the condition more effectively than an older one
By Christa Lesté-Lasserre
25 July 2024
The Shingrix shingles vaccine
ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy
The latest shingles vaccine may delay or possibly even prevent the onset of dementia more effectively than an older version.
Being vaccinated against shingles has been linked to dementia protection before. Now, it seems that a vaccine called Shingrix, which has been available since 2017, reduces the risk of developing the condition in the next six years by 17 per cent more than an older vaccine called Zostavax.
Shingles occurs when the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and stays in the body, becomes reactivated at a time when the immune system is weakened, such as when someone is stressed or having chemotherapy. This results in a painful rash, which can sometimes get infected or scar.
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With the risk of shingles increasing with age, physicians generally recommend that older people – aged 50 in the US and 65 in the UK – receive a vaccination against the virus and a booster about six months later.
Until seven years ago, the most common vaccine, Zostavax, was based on a live virus. Studies found that this appeared to be associated with a reduced risk of dementia, although connections between different types of vaccines and dementia have been the subject of controversy.
