Can the shingles vaccine stave off dementia?

A growing body of research suggests that some common vaccinations have benefits far beyond preventing the disease they were designed for.

The benefits of getting a shingles vaccine seem relatively straightforward: It will prevent you from getting shingles, a painful rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. But researchers have found a surprising link between getting the shingles vaccine and a lower risk of developing dementia. And that’s not the only vaccine that seems to have additional benefits. So what’s going on here? 

To help explain this research are epidemiologist Pascal Geldsetzer, who studies the association between the shingles vaccine and lower rates of dementia; and physician and epidemiologist Helen Chu, who studies the Flu, RSV and COVID-19 viruses.

Guests:

Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer is an assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology and population health at Stanford University. 

Dr. Helen Chu is a professor of epidemiology, allergy and infectious diseases at the University of Washington. 

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