Shingles vaccine linked to lower dementia risk in Welsh study

Researchers have discovered that a shingles vaccine may significantly reduce the risk of developing dementia. This finding stems from a natural experiment in Wales, where a national vaccination program for 70-year-olds was implemented in 2013 with a strict age cutoff.

By comparing individuals who were eligible for the vaccine against those who were not due to the specific eligibility date, epidemiologist Pascal Geldsetzer and his colleagues observed that vaccinated individuals had approximately a 20% lower chance of developing dementia.

With dementia affecting over 55 million people globally—a figure projected to reach 140 million by 2050—this discovery offers new hope. Current treatments often have limited efficacy once brain lesions become irreversible. Beyond prevention, researchers are investigating whether the vaccine might also slow the progression of the disease in those already diagnosed.