People in England and Wales who were eligible for the shingles vaccine were less likely to die from dementia, according to a big study of death records over nine years — but this doesn’t mean the vaccine prevents dementia, just that the two things happened together.

People with dementia who got the shingles vaccine were nearly 30% less likely to die from dementia over nine years—maybe the vaccine helps slow down how fast dementia gets worse, even in advanced stages.

Getting the shingles shot doesn’t seem to make older people healthier in general—but it might specifically help lower their risk of dementia, and that’s probably not just a coincidence.

Getting the shingles vaccine when you're 80 or older might slightly lower your risk of dying from dementia over the next nine years—especially for women—but not so much for men.

Getting the shingles shot after age 80 might help people with dementia live longer, even if they already have dementia — it doesn’t stop dementia from starting, but it might slow it down.

Getting the shingles shot when you're 65 or older might help lower your chances of developing dementia by about a third over the next several years.