Shingles is awful, but there may be another reason to get vaccinated. It may fight dementia

[Omaha Steve]

Last edited Wed Apr 2, 2025, 04:47 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: AP

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
Updated 10:26 AM CDT, April 2, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — A vaccine to fight dementia? It turns out there may already be one – shots that prevent painful shingles also appear to protect aging brains.

A new study found shingles vaccination cut older adults’ risk of developing dementia over the next seven years by 20%.

The research, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, is part of growing understanding about how many factors influence brain health as we age – and what we can do about it.

“It’s a very robust finding,” said lead researcher Dr. Pascal Geldsetzer of Stanford University. And “women seem to benefit more,” important as they’re at higher risk of dementia.



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/dementia-alzheimers-shingles-vaccine-6e5354efbefff22240af1a91addb88a4

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Most of you know I have frontotemporal dementia. I was diagnosed in 2013.

https://www.theaftd.org/what-is-ftd/disease-overview/

OS

[mahina]

1. Thank you, Omaha Steve

Aloha

[OnDoutside]

2. This is the 3rd one of these May prevent dementia

I have heard. The other two were statins and ozempic.

[BonnieJW]

24. Statins weaken bones

[Quixote1818]

32. And flu vaccines prevent dimenta

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1568163721002816#:~:text=Individuals%20with%20more%20full%20vaccination,effective%20strategy%20for%20dementia%20prevention.

[Raven123]

3. Fascinating. Thanks for posting

Also glad I got vaccinated

[birdographer]

4. Excellent!

I had shingles and several months later had the vaccination for it. Got it again a few months later, but to a lesser degree. Knowing that vaccine was more useful than I thought is good news!

[Aristus]

5. On the other hand, I always interpret not wanting to get vaccinated as a sign of cognitive dysfunction.

Barring a real, actual, authenticated allergy, of course.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. Appreciate the OP. I kind of stumbled upon this related subject last week

and it involves many illnesses, says Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, because the vagus nerve connects directly into the brain. It makes sense to me and what I've witnessed and in some cases experienced over the last 20 years. So, without further adieu .......

&t=730s&pp=ygULdmFndXMgbmVydmU%3D

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. My ex-wife has had shingles twice

I am now fully vaccinated

[Number9Dream]

8. My wife has had shingles 9 times

We both had the 2-shot vaccination. I've never had shingles, and I hope the vaccination keeps me from ever getting it. My wife had the 1-shot vac, and the 2-shot vac., but neither has prevented her from getting shingles (always in the same spot). She keeps Acyclovir on hand at all times. Here's hoping the dementia news is true.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

9. I got the two-shot vaccination.

I am hopeful that I never get shingles

[catchnrelease]

40. Wow!!

She must have some crazy immune system!! I had a case of it in early 2000s. Got the 1 shot vac 5yrs later as recommended by my PA. She'd told me that it would either prevent it or lessen the severity if I did get it. And not supposed to get it in same spot. Then got the 2 shot doses a couple of yrs ago just to be sure. That stuff (shingles) is nothing to fool around with, it was horrible and I think I had a relatively mild case. And I have a pretty high pain tolerance.

I really feel for your wife, she has suffered for sure!!

[Lovie777]

10. Interesting...............

I did have shingles, seems like all my nerve ending were on fire, had it for about 3 weeks, thought it was a spider bite, bruise on left side of spine, finally drove myself to ER Kaiser, waiting for several hours, finally saw the ER doctor who took less than several seconds and said I have the shingles.

I'm adopted and was told I never had the measles or chickenpox. Doctor said chickenpox yes.

Anywho, although they claim I will never get shingles again but still gave me the shots.

Thanks for the information.

[milestogo]

14. A small percentage of people get it a second time.

Usually it happens when you are immunosuppressed.

The wife of a man I worked with got it twice- in her twenties- while she was pregnant.

[Wounded Bear]

11. Interesting. I just got my 2d shot a week or so ago...nt

[Beachnutt]

29. Got my 2nd shot yesterday

It's kicking my butt, I ache all over and have fever.
Hope I feel better tomorrow.
Still glad I got the shots though.

[Wounded Bear]

38. Mine didn't hit that bad, but I felt it for a day or so...

Like you, though, I'm glad I finally got it. At 72 it's a little late, but it's done now.

[milestogo]

12. Until recently you couldn't get the vaccine until you were 60.

I got shingles when I was 58. It was awful.

[Lovie777]

33. It's bad, real bad..............

[OverBurn]

13. I'm almost 60 and never had shingles. Should I get the vaccine anyway?

[milestogo]

15. YES.

You don't want to get shingles. I had it on my upper chest for 2-3 weeks.

Grabbed the pharmacist and walked around the department looking for something that would give me relief. Finally I got some lidocaine for burns. It feels like somebody put out a dozen cigarettes on you, but your wounds are still on fire.

[mackdaddy]

18. YES! It is awful. My Dad had shingle on one side of his head.

He was 80 when he got the outbreak, and it did permanent damage to nerve endings in his scalp and eyelids. He had pain for the rest of his five years of life, and it led to problems where he actually had to have his eye removed.

You absolutely want to get this one.

[littlemissmartypants]

19. Definitely!

[catchnrelease]

41. YES! YES! and

OH HELL YES!!! I always tell people 'Take the shots!!'

[et tu]

16. good info

thank you for posting!

[DinahMoeHum]

17. Well, I'm getting my 2-part vaccine this spring/summer

I had shingles over 20 years ago, and I ain't anxious for another bout with it.

[littlemissmartypants]

20. Kick ❤️

[mountain grammy]

21. when I saw the first part of the headline I thought it was gonna say measles..

but very happy to see this. Thanks for posting.

[RANDYWILDMAN]

22. 2nd shingles vaccine dose is a doozy

give yourself some time (like the weekend )to recover, it's a beast


Way better than Shingles though my MIL almost lost her eye from the shingles

[BonnieJW]

25. I got the single and one of the 2

I haven't gotten the second one because I've stories like yours and I'm chicken

[C Moon]

37. For me it made me sleepy and sluggish for 2 days. It's not as terrible as having the flu.

Plus, you realize that your body is doing what it's supposed to do.

[catchnrelease]

42. It's so weird

The way the shots affect people or not. I had shingles decades ago. Had the single shot, and the 2 dose one a couple years ago. None of the shots bothered me at all. Barely even a sore spot at the vax site. Yet I know people like you that had a rough time with the first one and won't have the second.

But even thinking the first one was bad, I'd get the second too rather than go through the disease again. It was brutal.

[Quixote1818]

30. Agreed. It was like a mild case of the flu for me

But still 10000% worth it.

[Beachnutt]

34. ABSOLUTELY

I got my 2nd shot yesterday and am on the couch with a wet rag on my forehead right now.
It is a doozy.

[Beacool]

36. Really?

I had my second shot in February. Only problem was a sore upper arm for a few days.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

23. My son got shingles when he was something like

19 or 20.

[AllaN01Bear]

26. my late aunt had mesales when she was a kid. no vaccene when she was little

gott shingles when she was older . painful

[TomSlick]

27. I've seen shingles. You don't want shingles.

I've had the vaccine just in the hope that it works.

[Quixote1818]

28. The flu vaccine does the same thing

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1568163721002816#:~:text=Individuals%20with%20more%20full%20vaccination,effective%20strategy%20for%20dementia%20prevention.

[CrispyQ]

31. Sadly, we can kiss this kind of research goodbye. So much damage.

I didn't know about your diagnosis, OS. I'm so sorry.

[C Moon]

35. That 2nd dose is a powerful thing. :O

[twodogsbarking]

39. I was waiting for the vaccine a few years ago and got shingles. Not pleasant.

They strike one side and in the groin sometimes. Go the day you see them to get meds. They helped me I think. Took months to have nerves back to near normal. Got the vaccine when I could. Do it.

[Old Crank]

43. Best of luck

We got ours a few years ago.

[Talitha]

44. First I got the single shot, and then the double.

I learned about the newer double-dose vaccine here in DU.

I love you guys!

[Rhiannon12866]

45. I got mine just before the Covid shutdown.

I sat across from a woman one night when I went with a group for dinner. And she told me that she had recently had Shingles and it was so painful that she cut her hair off, couldn't stand it touching her face. That was all I needed to hear. The only problem was that everything shut down due to Covid, but I managed to get in my second shot just before the deadline for shot #2.