“Causal evidence that herpes zoster vaccination prevents a proportion of dementia cases.”
Markus Eyting, et al. – Stanford University.
Using national health data from Wales, this study found a 19.9% relative reduction in dementia rates among people who were vaccinated against herpes zoster. In 2013, Wales established a cutoff where only those born after September 1, 1933 were eligible for vaccination; only 0.01% of the population born on or prior to this date received the vaccine before the policy was enacted. Those born shortly after the cutoff had reduced rates of developing dementia compared to those born shortly before. This was also true for developing shingles, but not for any other major cause of death. Because there is no systematic difference between those on either side of the cutoff besides vaccination, the authors posit that this provides causal evidence for herpes zoster vaccination reducing dementia risk. This positions the shingles vaccine as a powerful public health tool for reducing dementia in an affordable, safe, and easy manner. Furthermore, it raises questions as to the role for herpes zoster in dementia development.
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