More evidence shows shingles vaccine protects against dementia. What’s really going on?

Health newsShingles vaccine may also offer protection against dementia, studies increasingly showShingles, a condition triggered by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus in the body, can cause a “war zone” of inflammation in the brain.Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleImportant Steps You Can Take to Protect Brain Health as You Age04:18Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 28, 2026, 6:30 AM EDTBy Lindsey LeakeThe shingles vaccine may significantly help protect older adults against dementia, a growing body of evidence shows.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Exactly how is unclear. The nervous system, however, likely holds clues.Shingles, a condition triggered by the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus in the body, can cause a “war zone” of inflammation in the brain, said Dr. Jennifer Pauldurai, the medical director of the Inova Brain Health and Memory Disorders Program in northern Virginia.People who have had chickenpox are at risk of developing the burning, itchy rash years or decades later. Long-term, debilitating nerve pain, called postherpetic neuralgia, is the most common complication of shingles because the varicella-zoster virus hides in the peripheral nervous system.It’s not that the shingles vaccine itself is a “magic pill,” Pauldurai said. Rather, the vaccine guards against the disease, which is known to disrupt brain health.“When the brain is stressed or challenged with any kind of illness, underlying risks for dementia become more apparent,” Pauldurai said. “We are more likely to get dementia when our brain is not as healthy as it could be, had we not gotten sick from shingles.”A study published June 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine indicates 1 in 17 dementia cases could possibly be prevented by shingles vaccination. Patients in nursing facilities who had received at least one dose of the shingles vaccine within...