Shingles vaccine tied to fewer dementia diagnoses, study in Wales suggests [Video]

Scientists may have produced the strongest evidence yet that the shingles vaccine is linked to reduced dementia risk.

Using the health records of more than 280,000 older adults in Wales, researchers found those who received the shingles vaccine were 20 per cent less likely to develop dementia over the next seven years than those who did not receive the vaccine.

The findings, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, build on other recent studies that have demonstrated associations between herpes virus infections and an increased risk of developing dementia.

Lead author Pascal Geldsetzer, from Stanford University, said the protective effects of the vaccine appeared to be “substantially larger” than those offered by existing dementia medications, but that further research was needed to determine if the observed effects were truly causal.

“If the shingles vaccine really prevents or delays dementia, then this would be a hugely important finding for clinical medicine, population health, and research into the causes …