Shingles Vaccines May Reduce Dementia Risk

Two new studies suggest that getting a vaccine to protect against a painful case of shingles may be beneficial for memory, too.

An estimated 98% of US adults have had chickenpox and are at risk for shingles; both are caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is in the herpes family.

Herpes viruses are wily and can stow away quietly in the roots of nerves. They can reactivate during periods of stress or illness, or any time a person’s immunity is lowered. That viral reactivation can cause shingles, a rash that opens in a line around the trunk or down the neck or face. The pain from shingles varies from person to person but can range from tingling to searing, and it can go on for weeks.

Increasingly, researchers believe that some kinds of herpes viruses can also hide out in the brain and become active again when the immune system drops its guard. When they do, the theory goes, it may cause damage that promotes the development of dementia.

There’s no cure for shingles, but antiviral drugs can help treat it, and there are vaccines. In 2006, the first vaccine for shingles was licensed in the United States, Zostavax. In 2017, a stronger vaccine, Shingrix, became available. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends Shingrix over Zostavax for adults 50 and older.

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