Health • 7 Min Read

Shingles vaccine may slow progression of dementia, new study suggests

By Jacqueline Howard
Updated Dec 2, 2025
Updated Dec 2, 2025, 2:01 PM ET
PUBLISHED Dec 2, 2025, 11:16 AM ET


A pharmacist displays doses of a vaccine that protects against shingles, at a CVS Pharmacy in Miami, on September 9, 2025. Rebecca Blackwell/AP/File

The shingles vaccine not only offers protection against the painful viral infection, a new study suggests that the two-dose shot also may slow the progression of dementia.

Shingles, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, presents as a painful rash and it’s estimated that about 1 in every 3 people in the United States will develop the illness in their lifetime. But the risk of shingles and serious complications increases with age, which is why in the United States, two doses of the shingles vaccine is recommended for adults 50 and older.

Vaccination is estimated to be more than 90% effective at preventing shingles in older adults, but recent research has shed light on some other potential benefits, too.

Emerging research suggests that getting the vaccine to protect against shingles may reduce the risk of developing dementia. A follow-up study, published Tuesday in the journal Cell, adds to that research by suggesting that the vaccine could also have therapeutic properties against dementia, by slowing the progression of the disease, leading to a reduced risk of dying from the disease.

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