Shingles vaccine may reduce dementia risk, scientists suggest

New research indicates that the shingles vaccine may be associated with lower dementia risk in older people. Scientists believe that controlling the viral infection could also protect brain health. However, further studies are considered necessary.

Shingles, known primarily for the painful rash it causes in older people, has caught scientists' attention for a new reason. Recent studies suggest that vaccination against shingles may be associated with a lower risk of developing dementia.

Over the past decade, multiple scientific studies have shown a link between receiving the shingles vaccine and reduced dementia risk. Scientists believe that the varicella-zoster virus, which causes shingles, may play a role in triggering neurological changes, and by limiting the virus's activity through vaccination, brain health could also be protected.

Shingles occurs when the virus remaining in the body from chickenpox contracted in childhood reactivates, typically in older adults or people with weakened immune systems. It manifests as severe inflammation and a rash, often confined to one side of the body. Beyond the immediate pain, the disease is associated with long-term complications.

According to experts, the relationship between the vaccine and dementia risk requires further investigation, but the initial results are promising enough to recommend shingles vaccination for people over 50. In several countries, this vaccine is already part of national immunisation programmes.