Dr. Wy, why does the shingles vaccine prevent dementia? It sounds too good to be true!

Ask Dr. Wy…

Richard Wyderski, MD, FACP

Dr. Wy, why does the shingles vaccine prevent dementia? It sounds too good to be true!

These days it’s hard to decide whether something is true or not with all the misinformation that’s out there. In this case, there IS evidence that the shingles vaccine (Shingrix) probably DOES protect people from dementia.

Once we have chicken pox, the virus survives in a dormant state inside our nerve cells. Many years later when our immune system weakens, it can re-activate and causes pain and a rash along the length of a nerve. If it affects an eye or ear it can lead to permanent vision or hearing damage, and the pain can take more than a year to resolve. It’s no fun. Fortunately, the vaccine reduces the risk of shingles by about 90%.

Last year a study was published looking at the medical records of 100,000+ people in the US who received the vaccine and compared them to 100,000+ people who were closely matched expect that they had not received the vaccine. They found a 17% decrease in the chances of developing cognitive decline in the following 6 years. A study published this year conducted in Wales found similar results.

Together the studies offer strong clues that it probably does work. We don’t know exactly why, but researchers speculate that it prevents inflammation in the brain in the same way it prevents shingles - by keeping the virus in check.

Should you get the shingles vaccine? Anyone over 50 years of age or with a weak immune system is eligible. Reducing the risk of shingles AND dementia is icing on the cake!

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