Shingles vaccine may lower dementia risk, new study finds

For older adults, receiving the shingles vaccine might reduce the risk of dementia.

According to a recent study, elderly residents in nursing homes who were administered at least one dose of the Shingrix vaccine, the sole vaccine of its type available in the U.S., showed a 24 percent lower likelihood of developing dementia over four years compared to those not vaccinated. These findings were released this week in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

This study contributes to the increasing body of research linking the viral infection to cognitive decline.