Older adults who received a shingles vaccine after entering a skilled nursing facility were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the following four years, according to a new study. Researchers found that vaccinated adults had a 24% lower risk of dementia compared with those who did not receive the vaccine.
The analysis drew on Medicare data and health records from more than 500,000 adults age 66 and older who were admitted to skilled nursing facilities for either short-term or long-term care. Researchers compared patients who received at least one dose of the recombinant shingles vaccine, known as RZV or Shingrix, with patients who remained unvaccinated. Shingrix was introduced in 2017 and is currently the only shingles vaccine available on the market.
Studying the Newest Shingles Vaccine
"A lot of previous studies with similar results focused on an older vaccine," said study author Kaley Hayes, an assistant professor at Brown University's School of Public Health. "This study looks at the newest vaccine only in an older, vulnerable adult population who were not up to date with shingles vaccination and are at a very clear clinical point in care: entering a skilled nursing facility."
