# Shingles Vaccine Linked to 24% Lower Dementia Risk in Major Study

*2026-08-26 10:01 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> A 500,000-person study finds Shingrix shingles vaccine recipients had 24% lower dementia risk over four years, potentially preventing one case per 17 people vaccinated.

Older adults who received the Shingrix shingles vaccine were 24% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over four years, according to a study of more than 500,000 people published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers estimate the effect could amount to roughly one dementia case prevented for every 17 people vaccinated.

The team, led by Kaley Hayes at Brown University's School of Public Health, used target trial emulation on Medicare data from adults age 66 and older admitted to skilled nursing facilities between 2017 and 2022. Of 509,926 participants, only 8,843 had received the vaccine. After four years, dementia had developed in 18.8% of vaccinated participants versus 24.6% of those who were unvaccinated.

"This translates to about one in 17 dementia cases potentially being prevented," Hayes said. The study cannot definitively prove causation — vaccinated individuals tended to be slightly younger and healthier, factors researchers adjusted for but acknowledged may not fully explain the gap.

## Sources

- [sciencedaily.com](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260823015013.htm)
- [sciencealert.com](https://www.sciencealert.com/common-vaccine-linked-to-24-lower-dementia-risk-in-major-study)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/2257-shingles-vaccine-linked-to-24-lower-dementia-risk-in-major-study
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/2330-vakcina-proti-pasovemu-oparu-spojena-s-o-24-nizsim-rizikem-demence-ukazuje