Health
Study links Shingrix shingles vaccine to 24% reduced dementia risk in older adults
An observational study of over 500,000 Medicare recipients found lower rates of dementia among recipients of the recombinant shingles vaccine, though clinical trials are needed to prove direct causation.
The short version
- An observational study found that nursing facility residents receiving the Shingrix vaccine had a 24% lower risk of dementia diagnosis over four years compared to unvaccinated peers.
- The difference equates to roughly one dementia diagnosis potentially avoided for every 17 individuals vaccinated.
- Because vaccinated participants were slightly younger and healthier, researchers noted the study cannot establish direct cause and effect.
Key facts
- Researchers analyzed Medicare records of 509,926 adults aged 66 and older admitted to skilled nursing facilities between 2017 and 2022.[ScienceDaily]
- Dementia developed in 18.8% of vaccinated participants compared with 24.6% of unvaccinated participants over a four-year follow-up period.[ScienceDaily]
- The research was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine and funded by GlaxoSmithKline, though the company had no influence over the design, analysis, or decision to publish.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unverified whether the Shingrix vaccine directly causes the reduced dementia risk, as vaccinated participants tended to be younger and healthier overall.[ScienceDaily]