Shingles vaccine uptake has increased substantially across British pharmacies, with bookings at major chains more than doubling over the past year. While some of this demand stems from people seeking protection against shingles itself, a notable portion is motivated by emerging research suggesting a potential link between shingles vaccination and reduced dementia risk.
Recent scientific studies have reported that shingles vaccination may offer protection against dementia, with reported reductions in risk ranging up to 20%, with stronger effects observed in women. An influential study from Stanford University examined a natural experiment in Wales involving a vaccination program that created an age-based eligibility cutoff. Researchers compared dementia rates between those who could and could not receive the vaccine, finding an 8.5% lower dementia rate in the vaccine-eligible group among women over seven years. When accounting for vaccination uptake rates, researchers estimated the vaccine could lower dementia risk by nearly 20%.
Research published in 2024 from the University of Oxford examined data on over 200,000 vaccinated individuals and compared two different shingles vaccines: Zostavax and Shingrix. The analysis found dementia cases were 17% lower in those who received Shingrix compared with Zostavax over six years. Women showed a 22% lower risk while men showed a 13% reduction.
The scientific rationale for a potential connection involves the varicella zoster virus, which causes both chickenpox and shingles. After childhood chickenpox infection, the virus remains dormant in nerve cells. Researchers suspect that when the virus reactivates later in life, it may contribute to dementia through inflammation, nerve cell stress, and the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain.
Despite these promising findings, the vaccine remains unapproved for dementia prevention. The shingles vaccine carries significant out-of-pocket costs for those under 65, with two doses costing approximately £450. Dementia affects nearly 60 million people globally and is projected to impact over 100 million by 2040, underscoring the public health importance of potential preventive interventions.
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