Getting vaccinated against shingles could prevent one in 17 cases of dementia, researchers report.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
By Allyson Chiu — Boston GlobeJune 18, 2026
If you’re an older adult, getting vaccinated against shingles could lower your risk of developing dementia.
A new study found that elderly nursing home residents who received at least one dose of the shingles vaccine known as Shingrix, the only shot of its kind available in the United States, were 24 percent less likely to develop dementia over a four-year period compared to those who were not vaccinated, according to results published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
