Many seniors know they should get the two-part shingles vaccine but put it off because they’ve heard it can make you feel a bit sick afterwards. Those who’ve experienced the painful, blistering virus-caused rash have long urged others to get the vaccine, and usually the response is, “Oh, yeah. I should get that,” but they may secretly be thinking, “Someday.”‘
Recent reporting may get even the most reluctant senior up to the pharmacy for the vaccine. The reason? Research out of the University of Oxford shows that the shingles vaccines ‘Shingrix’ is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. The results of the study were published in the journal Nature Medicine.
While researchers state that further study is needed, the results are promising. Dr Maxime Taquet, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford, who led the study said: “The size and nature of this study makes these findings convincing, and should motivate further research. They support the hypothesis that vaccination against shingles might prevent dementia. If validated in clinical trials, these findings could have significant implications for older adults, health services, and public health.”
Now, when seniors think about getting the shingles vaccine, instead of saying “Oh, yeah, I should get that someday,” the thought of reducing their risk of shingles AND dementia may have them making the trip to the pharmacy as soon as possible.
