Why do vaccinated people seem to get dementia less?
Reduced dementia incidence after varicella zoster vaccination in Wales 2013–2020
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The shingles vaccine was linked to a 57% lower risk of all-cause mortality — stronger than most known dementia interventions.
Most people assume dementia prevention comes from brain-specific actions (diet, exercise, meds), but here, a vaccine for a skin rash is tied to living nearly twice as long — which makes no biological sense unless it’s a proxy for health.
Practical Takeaways
If you're over 70, get the shingles vaccine — it’s safe, free in Wales/UK, and may still help your overall health.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The shingles vaccine was linked to a 57% lower risk of all-cause mortality — stronger than most known dementia interventions.
Most people assume dementia prevention comes from brain-specific actions (diet, exercise, meds), but here, a vaccine for a skin rash is tied to living nearly twice as long — which makes no biological sense unless it’s a proxy for health.
Practical Takeaways
If you're over 70, get the shingles vaccine — it’s safe, free in Wales/UK, and may still help your overall health.
Publication
Journal
Alzheimer's & Dementia : Translational Research & Clinical Interventions
Year
2022
Authors
C. Schnier, J. Janbek, R. Lathe, J. Haas
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you can stop the chickenpox virus from waking up again in your nerves, it might calm down brain swelling and reduce harmful protein buildups that lead to memory problems and dementia.
People who get the shingles vaccine tend to live longer and have fewer heart attacks, strokes, and broken hips—but this might not be because the vaccine itself causes these benefits; it could just be that healthier people are more likely to get vaccinated.
In Wales, older people who are healthier and have more money or education are more likely to get the shingles shot, while those who are sicker or live in care homes are less likely to get it—so whether someone gets the vaccine might just show how healthy and proactive they are about their health.
People in Wales aged 70 and older who got the shingles shot were 28% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the next six years — but that doesn’t mean the vaccine prevents dementia, just that the two seem to be linked in some way.
Getting the shingles shot might lower your risk of a type of dementia caused by blood vessel problems in the brain more than it lowers your risk of Alzheimer’s, which is caused by brain plaques — so it might be helping your brain’s blood flow more than it’s cleaning up gunk.