Illustration of a protective shield beside a nerve with a plaster, representing shingles protection

Shingles vaccine and dementia: what the research says, and what it doesn’t

ByZain Rajabali

If you’ve searched for the shingles vaccine recently, you’ve probably seen the headlines. A run of large studies has linked shingles vaccination to a lower risk of dementia, and the Guardian reported in October 2026 that demand for the jab is soaring, with some people booking it more for their brain than for their skin.

It’s a genuinely interesting story, and we’re asked about it most weeks. So here’s a plain summary of what the researchers found, what they’re careful not to claim, and how we’d suggest thinking about it.

This is general information, not a recommendation. The shingles vaccine is licensed to prevent shingles. Whether it’s right for you is decided at your appointment.

The short answer

  • Several large studies have found that people who had the shingles vaccine were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia in the years afterwards. The best-known figures are a 17% lower risk over 6 years for the newer vaccine compared with the old one, and close to 20% in a Welsh “natural experiment”.
  • The effect was consistently stronger in women than men.
  • None of this is proof. The studies are observational, and the researchers say so. Two clinical trials are under way but won’t report for years.
  • Alzheimer’s Research UK doesn’t advise having the vaccine specifically to prevent dementia.
  • The reason to have it is still shingles, which is painful, common in later life and can cause lasting nerve pain. If the dementia link holds up, that’s a bonus.

Why would a shingles jab affect the brain?

Shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus, which stays dormant in the nervous system after a childhood infection and can reactivate as you get older or if your immune system is weakened. The NHS says shingles is more likely, and more likely to cause serious problems, as you get older.

The research began with a suspicion that this same virus might contribute to dementia. As the Guardian explains, when the virus reactivates it can drive inflammation and stress in nerve cells, and in the brain that may add to the build-up of the abnormal proteins seen in Alzheimer’s disease. If so, a vaccine that keeps the virus in check might lower that risk. Exactly how it might work is, in the Guardian’s words, “still a puzzle”.

What the studies found

The Oxford study (Nature Medicine, 2024). Researchers at the University of Oxford looked at US health records for more than 200,000 people who’d had a shingles vaccine, with 103,837 in each of two groups. Half had the older live vaccine and half had the newer non-live vaccine, the type we give. Over the following 6 years, those who had the newer vaccine had a 17% increase in time lived without a dementia diagnosis, which the authors translate as 164 extra days without a diagnosis for those who went on to develop it. The effect was found in both sexes but was greater in women, at 22% compared with 13% in men. The newer shingles vaccine was also linked to lower dementia risk than two other vaccines commonly given to older people, flu and tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis.

A strength of this study is that it compared one shingles vaccine with another, rather than vaccinated people with unvaccinated people. That reduces the risk that the result just reflects vaccinated people being generally more health-conscious.

The Welsh natural experiment (Stanford University). When the shingles vaccine programme started in Wales on 1 September 2013, anyone who was already 80 wasn’t eligible. That cut-off split people of almost the same age into two groups, which let researchers compare dementia rates without the usual bias. The Guardian reports that dementia rates were 8.5% lower in the eligible group over seven years, in women but not men. Because only about half of the eligible group actually had the jab, the team estimated the vaccine itself lowered dementia risk by nearly 20%. They’ve since reported similar findings in Australia and Ontario, Canada.

Alzheimer’s Society (November 2025). An international panel of 21 dementia experts reviewed 80 existing medicines to find the ones most worth trialling against Alzheimer’s disease. The shingles vaccine was named one of three priority candidates, with the Society noting that previous studies suggest people who had the vaccine could be 16% less likely to develop dementia. The researchers now hope to run a large clinical trial in the UK.

Other hints. The Oxford team has since reported a small reduction in heart attacks and strokes after the newer vaccine, according to the Guardian.

What it doesn’t mean

This is the part the headlines tend to skip, so it’s worth reading carefully.

  • Association isn’t cause. The Oxford authors write that their study is observational and causality cannot be demonstrated. Alzheimer’s Society’s Dr Anne Corbett says the candidates “need further investigation before we will know whether they can be used to treat or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.”
  • One study found nothing. In July 2026, researchers at the University of Bristol found no evidence in a much larger set of English hospital records that the older live vaccine protects against dementia. That may be down to the data, or it may mean the old vaccine doesn’t protect after all.
  • Nobody knows why women seem to benefit more, or whether the effect lasts beyond the years studied.
  • The vaccine is licensed to prevent shingles. As the Guardian notes, it isn’t approved for any other condition. Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Michael Jones told the Guardian: “While new studies finding these links are promising and growing in number, there isn’t enough data to demonstrate a direct cause-and-effect relationship.” The charity points instead to the things known to help the brain: exercise, a good diet and keeping your mind active.
  • The real answers are coming, slowly. The Guardian reports two major clinical trials under way in Finland and Denmark. They won’t report for years.

So should you have the shingles vaccine?

Our honest view: have it for shingles, and treat the dementia research as a possible extra rather than the reason.

Shingles itself is reason enough for many people. The NHS describes a painful rash that can lead to long-lasting nerve pain, and the risk of both the illness and its complications rises with age. You can get shingles more than once, which is why the NHS says it’s worth being vaccinated even if you’ve had it before.

If you’re already thinking about it, the dementia research is a reasonable thing to weigh up, as long as you go in knowing it’s unproven. What we’d steer you away from is the idea that the jab is a treatment for dementia, or a substitute for the lifestyle measures the charities recommend.

Who can have it, and who should wait

Privately at MediPill, the shingles vaccine is for adults aged 50 and over, and for adults aged 18 and over with a weakened immune system. Some people are eligible for it through the NHS instead; our guide to shingles vaccine cost and NHS eligibility explains who, and your GP surgery confirms it.

It’s not suitable for you if you’ve had a serious allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a previous dose or to any ingredient in the vaccine. Wait if you have a high temperature or feel too unwell for your normal activities, and if you currently have shingles, wait until the symptoms have gone. It isn’t routinely given in pregnancy or while breastfeeding. If either applies, or you have a weakened immune system, tell the pharmacist, who will check whether it’s right for you.

Side effects are usually mild and settle within 2 or 3 days: a sore arm, tiredness, a headache, aching muscles or a mild temperature. The NHS shingles vaccine page lists them in full.

Get help if you have signs of a serious allergic reaction in the minutes after any vaccine, such as swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing or feeling faint: call 999. For anything that’s worrying you in the days afterwards, speak to a pharmacist or your GP, or call NHS 111.

Common questions

Does the shingles vaccine prevent dementia? Nobody can say that yet. Large observational studies have linked it to a lower risk of a dementia diagnosis, but association isn’t proof, and clinical trials are still running. It’s licensed to prevent shingles.

Which shingles vaccine was studied? Both. The Oxford study found the newer non-live vaccine, the one used in the UK today, was linked to lower dementia risk than the older live one, which is no longer used. The Welsh study looked at the older live vaccine, and a Bristol study found no effect for it.

Is the effect only in women? The effect was stronger in women in every study, and in the Welsh study it was found in women but not men. The Oxford study found it in both, at 22% in women and 13% in men. Researchers don’t yet know why.

I’ve already had the shingles vaccine. Do I need it again? No. The course is two doses, and you need both for full protection. If you had the older vaccine years ago, talk to a pharmacist about whether the newer one is appropriate for you.

I’m 55 and worried about dementia. Should I book? Book it if you want protection against shingles, which is the proven benefit. If the dementia research turns out to be right, you’ll have that too. If dementia is your main worry, the charities’ advice is to focus on the things with firm evidence: physical activity, a good diet, and keeping your brain and social life active.

Getting the shingles vaccine in Oxford

We give the shingles vaccine at all four of our branches. Each dose includes a consultation with a pharmacist, who checks your medical history, your medicines and any allergies before vaccinating. The second dose is given 2 to 6 months after the first, and you need both for full protection, so it’s worth booking the second before you leave the first appointment.

It’s £240 per dose, £480 for the two-dose course. Details and booking are on our shingles vaccine page, where you choose your branch and time.

Prefer to ask first? Get in touch and a pharmacist will come back to you.

Sources

  1. The recombinant shingles vaccine is associated with lower risk of dementia – Taquet M, Dercon Q, Todd JA, Harrison PJ. Nature Medicine, 25 July 2024. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03201-5 (accessed 3 November 2026)
  2. ‘I want to do everything I can to head off dementia’: why demand for the shingles vaccine is soaring – Ian Sample, The Guardian, 11 October 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/11/dementia-demand-for-shingles-vaccine-is-soaring (accessed 3 November 2026)
  3. Promising research into shingles vaccine as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease – Alzheimer’s Society, 18 November 2025. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/news/2025-11-18/promising-research-shingles-vaccine-treatment-alzheimers-disease (accessed 3 November 2026)
  4. Shingles vaccine – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/shingles-vaccine/ (accessed 3 November 2026)
  5. Shingles – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/shingles/ (accessed 3 November 2026)
  6. Anaphylaxis – NHS. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anaphylaxis/ (accessed 3 November 2026)

Written by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist – GPhC #2219769
Medically reviewed by Zain Rajabali, Superintendent Pharmacist, Independent Prescriber – GPhC #2219769
Last reviewed: 3 November 2026 · Next review due: November 2027

This article is general health information and is not a substitute for a consultation. It does not recommend any specific vaccine for you, and it does not claim that any vaccine prevents or treats dementia. Suitability is decided at an individual assessment with a pharmacist.

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