The latest The Economist has an article entitled,
A no-brainer for protecting your brain
One simple vaccination may dramatically reduce the risk of dementia
It refers to a large observational study that showed people who received the old shingles shot had a 20% less chance of developing dementia than those who didn’t get vaccinated. The Economist says
Most of the evidence of its anti-dementia effect relates to an earlier version of the vaccine, which used a weakened form of the live virus. It has since been largely replaced by a new one, Shingrix, which contains just a sprinkling of proteins from the virus and is seen as safer because it cannot cause an infection. Some studies suggest the new jab may be at least as powerful against dementia as the old one. Even so, it would make sense to run randomised trials to learn which is better, the optimal age for getting it and whether boosters are needed.
In the meantime, health authorities should not wait. A full two-dose course of Shingrix costs Britain’s health service £320 ($430) and federal immunisation programmes in America around $270: a bargain, given the potential savings in long-term care costs. As for individuals, even the retail cost (around £460 in Britain) is a small price to reduce by one-fifth the chances of having the world recede in every direction.
The trouble is, of course, that correlation doesn’t mean causation. People who get vaccinated may differ from those who do not in ways that also affect dementia risk.
So the findings are consistent enough to indicate the shingles vaccination may have broader health benefits beyond preventing shingles itself. Andy and I are convinced the shots are worth it even if it wouldn’t help ward off dementia. The complications from shingles (from Perplexity) are:
The main complication from shingles is postherpetic neuralgia: long-lasting nerve pain in the area where the rash appeared. Other possible complications include eye problems and vision loss, bacterial skin infection, hearing problems, muscle weakness, and, rarely, pneumonia or brain inflammation.
We have a friend who is still suffering from nerve pain from shingles, and I had shingles in my left eye even after I had the old vaccine. I didn’t have long-term damage, and I’m convinced the danger to my vision would have been a lot greater if I hadn’t had the shot.
As I remember we had two shots of the new vaccine, about six months apart. I reacted to the first one with a sore, swollen arm and feeling under the weather for a day or so, but it was well worth it. I don’t remember reacting the the second one. What about you? Did you have the shots? If so, did you have a reaction?
July 15, 2026
