Shingles
Shingles is a virus that causes a painful rash. It usually clears within four weeks, but can cause complications that may take a long time to resolve in some people.
In case anyone needed further encouragement to accept the shingles jab, a number of major research studies suggest that there has been a discernible decline in the number of dementia diagnoses. According to research published in journals like ‘Nature’ and ‘Nature Medicine’, older adults accepting the shingles vaccination have a markedly lower risk of developing dementia, compared to those who do not receive the vaccine.
Stanford Medicine published the results of research conducted with 280,000 older adults in Wales. It showed that in adults with early cognitive impairment the zoster vaccine cut the likelihood of dying from dementia in a nine-year period in half. A 2026 paper showed that two doses of the vaccine were linked to a 51% reduction in the risk of developing dementia. Though it has not been proven, it is seen as a potent contributory element.
Shingles is caused by the reactivation of the varicella herpes virus (chicken pox). The vaccine blocks the recurrence of the herpes-zoster virus which is dormant in the body after chickenpox. People who have not had chickenpox cannot develop shingles. However, it is not always easy to be sure that a person has not had chickenpox if it was a very mild case and not recognised as such. Additionally, chicken pox may be contracted from someone who has shingles through contact with fluid from the shingles blisters, for example.
Other vaccines, like those for the prevention of influenza, diptheria/ tetanus/pertussis, and RSV, may also play a role in reducing the risk of dementia. In short, anything that reduces the influence of systemic infections helps to protect the ageing brain.
Repurposing drugs approved for other conditions is a reliable and cost-effective way of providing treatments for many illnesses. New drugs can take 10 to 15 years to develop and test.
Two professors at the University of Exeter have found three drugs from a panel of 80 that could be the most helpful in treating and possibly preventing dementia. They are the shingles vaccine, (Zostavax), Viagra (Sildenafil), and one used for MND (Riluzole), with the shingles vaccine proving to be the most favourable, as it requires just two doses and has proved to be safe.
I must admit that I haven't had one yet. It's on my list, but I just haven't seemed to have got around to it. I bet there are a few people who will say that!
ReplyDeleteI remember my mother having shingles She didn't have a serious case but it was nonetheless painful and distressing.
DeleteI just read that too — just the headline in my case. I have had the shot after I developed a case. Fortunately, we caught it early.
ReplyDeleteYou were fortunate.
DeleteJust get the jab, y''all- no brainer! My mother had shingles and i guarantee it is no walk in the park! Nerve pain is the worst pain one can experience.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteThanks for a very thorough piece on shingles. I've had had shingles and it wasn't pleasant.
ReplyDeleteIt's better avoided, certainly.
DeleteI had the mumps, but I will never get vaccinated again... I no longer trust vaccines or doctors!
ReplyDeleteIt is a personal choice.
DeleteThat's interesting. I haven't heard about the possible connection before. I'm happy to have any jabs that help to prevent infections.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteI got the shingles vaccine a few months ago, largely because of the evidence that it decreases the risk of dementia. I've seen what dementia does, up close.
ReplyDeleteDementia is miserable and insidious. It steals a person's character.
DeleteA few years ago there was an old vaccine, which was free here, and a newer far more effective vaccine for which you had to pay, a few hundred dollars I think. While everyone knew the new one would be approved for full subsidy, I decided I would not wait any longer and I paid for the first one, and by the time my second one was due, it was free for seniors and the usual medicine subsidy, which means I think now $25. I had not heard about this remarkable information about dementia prevention.
ReplyDeleteYou made the right decision, but how annoying that a short period would have saved you some $$$. However, it's not always possible to foresee these things.
DeleteBelieve me, we don't listen to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who is Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services. We are taking whatever vaccine the actual scientists recommend. I know how much my mother suffered with shingles several decades ago.
ReplyDeleteRFK has done so much damage, in the same way that Wakefield's 'research' - on twelve children!!! - has been responsible for an upsurge in measles.
Delete2 of our friends, over 60, got shingles and it was nasty and lasted months. K and I had the vaccination a couple of years ago. No side effects at all. I'll look into having a second dose.
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the dementia. Time will tell on that.
I'm sure there are studies being conducted all the time. Most of the time we don't hear the conclusions.
DeleteThank you for some sensible information on vaccinations.
ReplyDeleteThe rise in vaccine hesitancy is very worrying - made worse by the lunatic in the US. What I don’t understand is why people believe rubbish they read going down rabbit holes as opposed to using their own eyes. I know no one who has been damaged by a vaccination. I have asked many of my friends if they know anyone and the answer has always been no. So how can the vaccine be so dangerous and has killed or damaged so many millions of people?
Exactly so. Basically, people are gullible.
DeleteAs soon as I heard that Robert Kennedy Jr was against the shingles vaccine I knew it was time to get my jabs. Mind you I would also be willing to participate in sildenafil trials. Are there any side effects?
ReplyDelete. . . something to do with directing blood to specific regions of the body, I believe?
DeleteVery interesting information on repurposing drugs!
ReplyDeleteIt sometimes happens by chance that one medication is found to be effective for unrelated conditions.
DeleteI've never had chicken pox, to my knowledge, though both my children have had it and I never caught it from them so perhaps I have had it without knowing. I will definitely have the shingles jab when it's offered to me, I always stay up to date with any vaccinations.
ReplyDeleteAnti-vaxxers do such a lot of damage and they can be very convincing.
DeleteThe current most effective shingles vax is a two-shot series. (The old vax was one shot and not as effective.) I did have an RN who had never had chickenpox and she was not permitted to take care of any shingles patients, per the Infectious Disease doc. The friends and patients I've had with shingles all lasted longer than 4 weeks; most beyond 4 months. The dementia figures are nice, but if you get Shingles you will be so miserable as to go stark raving mad, way beyond dementia. Best to get the shots instead of being miserable and in so much pain. Jabs are better. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteDefinitely.
DeleteI had a shingles vaccination last year but wasn't told to come back for part two, so I am now wondering what to do about that. Is there a one-shot type of vaccination or should I brave up and go back for a two-shot repeat? I had the pneumonia vaccination at the same time, so both arms were sore for quite a while. I had chicken pox as a child, but a very mild case with only a few blisters while my poor sister had them everywhere including inside ears and mouth. Years later my son caught chicken pox from his sister while he was still swollen with mumps.
ReplyDeleteI found this through AI for UK:
Delete. . . If you already received the older live shingles vaccine (Zostavax) under the routine NHS programme, you do not need or qualify for an additional dose of the new non-live vaccine (Shingrix), unless your immune system has since become severely weakened.
Your poor son - he must have been in so much pain.
We definitely got our vaccinations against this painful problem. We've both known people that have broken out with shingles and know their misery.
ReplyDeleteShingles is not something to be treated lightly.
DeleteI think dementia, just like cancer, has become a sharp focus for cure. Which is excellent news. Your detailed explanation is easy to understand. I am going for a RSV jab in a few days. A needle will be so much more simple than the long over questioning NHS app I had to type in just to get an appointment for same.
ReplyDeleteOccasionally I wonder if the application forms are a subtle way of discouraging people. 😉😂🤣
DeleteMy wife and I both had the Shingrix vaccine several years ago. It was expensive but a good investment, I feel. Viagra, huh? Hmmm……🤪
ReplyDelete🤣😂
DeleteThat is very interesting. I’ve never had a shingles shot but maybe I should go get one
ReplyDeletePerhaps it hasn't been offered to you yet.
DeleteLong before the shingles vaccine was available, my dad had shingles. Poor old dude was miserable. When the vaccine became available, did I run out to get it? No. It took a colleague and friend who got shingles 3 times! I did get the jab.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you did. Shingles three times - that's unbearable.
DeleteSadly, I had shingles before there was a jab. But I was lucky ... I'm being sarcastic here ... that I only got it on my face.
ReplyDeleteQuite painful, and for many months after, too.
Ooh, nasty. Poor you.
DeleteIt was ugly, definitely!!
DeleteI am still waiting to be invited for my shingles vaccination. The criteria here seems to be quite varied with age groups both younger and older than me being given it. Not really sure why that is.
ReplyDeleteThat's strange. I just found this online: (I must stop being so nosey!!)
ReplyDeleteThe Isle of Man shingles vaccination is now offered to:
Immunocompetent individuals who:
Have a date of birth 1 Sept 1953 to 31 Aug 1954 or 1 Sept 1958 to 31 Aug 1959
Have a date of birth 2 Sept 1943 to 31 Aug 1953
Severely immunosuppressed individuals from 1 September 2025
Very strange isn't it!
DeleteHealth Secretary Kennedy in the USA refused to endorse shingles vaccines or to ban them. That proves they must be medically sound.
ReplyDeleteThat's fair comment! 😷
DeleteI received the 2 shingles vaccine a few years ago. I'm glad I did. My younger son ended up getting shingles when he was 38 years old. It was definitely something I wouldn't want. He was miserable. Fortunately it hasn't come back. I've known one person where her shingles is reoccurring. I don't know why she doesn't get the vaccine????
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly nasty and painful, often for a long time.
DeleteAmusing trivia - I booked my Shingles Vaccine appointment yesterday. This is a great summary and I may borrow the point order to tell my sixty something children and spouse to get it.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a simple affliction.
DeleteThis almost reads like Mary G has sixty + children.....🤣
DeleteI will certainly be getting the vaccine when I become eligible. I do NOT want shingles!
ReplyDeleteIt's no respecter of people or ages.
DeleteThis is a very, very, good post. Thank you for enlightening us all.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nicole.
DeleteGood post :)
ReplyDeleteThe shingles vaccine helps protect against shingles. It's available on the NHS for all adults turning 65, those aged 70 to 79 and those aged 18 and over with a severely weakened immune system.
More details on the link below:-
https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/shingles-vaccine/
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan.
DeleteI am instinctively sceptical about statistics. I have had shingles twice, possibly three times but the third time was borderline because it was mild irritation and could have been nothing. The first two times involved one visit to the doctor, number one time, and he told me the prescription was going to cost the surgery a lot of money but he would give it to me, £7 per tablet at the time 25 years ago. When I read about shingles it is always about the worst that it could possibly be. In reality mostly it is not that bad. I will continue to be sceptical about statistics.
ReplyDeleteSometimes a bucketful of salt is needed, rather than a pinch. Always check your sources.
DeleteLet me preface this comment by saying I am not an "anti-vaxer." However, neither am I a "pro-vaxer." I used to get every required/recommended vaccine and, when my son was young, made sure he received all required/recommended ones as well. In recent years (even pre-COVID), however, I have become increasingly hesitant and skeptical of vaccines. After COVID, even more so. While, obviously, I am in the minority, I think that as much - if not more - harm can be done by blindly presenting ourselves to be jabbed simply because someone in our government says we should than by things said by anti-vaxers, and just as much harm can be done by the commentary of overly zealous and under-informed pro-vaxers. Frankly, some of the commentary above is frightening and it is apparent that most have learned nothing from COVID and the never-ending COVID vaccines and boosters. Those who take "whatever vaccine the actual scientists recommend" especially so. Who is the science is a very elusive thing. A few years ago, Dr. Fauci claimed he was the science - and many others blindly - and foolishly - believed him.
ReplyDeleteAs for those who say that those with vaccine hesitancy are believing rubbish they read in rabbit holes or listening to some lunatic in the U.S., that's far from so. Many of us hesitant ones have done a great DEAL of legitimate research and that is what makes us hesitant. We don't just "use our own eyes" and say because we don't know anyone who has been damaged by a vaccination, it's safe. In fact, I do know several who have been damaged by vaccines...and history has many examples where a vaccine has caused irreparable damage (e.g., the rotavirus vaccine causing intussusception in infants, the H1N1 influenza vaccine causing narcolepsy, the swine flu vaccine causing GBS, and most recently, the COVID vaccine causing myocarditis and pericarditis). These are documented and the CDC has confirmed the causal link between the vaccine and the effect.
And one only has to explore the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) to discover thousands of reported adverse reactions/effects from the COVID vaccines. (Just a warning...it's a bit tricky to navigate and get to the actual information....Gee, I wonder why??) While these are reports on VAERS are reports only and not yet positively connected to the vaccines, the sheer number of reports is more than alarming and quite sobering.
So, no, I will not go forth as a sheep to get jabbed solely because someone said I should (or, even less so simply because RFK Jr. is opposed to them) or because I know of some people who had a bad case of shingles. Like you said, it's a personal choice in the end but I think it's important that the choice be made (whether for or against) for valid reasons. All that said (and apologies for the novella), I do find the suggested connection with diminished chance of dementia interesting and hopeful.
Never apologise for a cogent opinion. Personal choice is important.
DeleteHad shingles so many times Ive lost count and wonder whether the vaccination would even work on me. Have read about the possible additional benefits and am always amazed at what we don't know but find out accidentally. I wonder if that's how prehistoric ancestors learned to use fire for example.
ReplyDeleteEven more, how did they discover cooking?
DeleteI got the original shingles shot (one jab)which was the only shot available when I turned 60 (the earliest age it was available for). I apparently never had chicken pox as a child and I caught it as an adult from my then three year old son. This was before the chicken pox vaccine.so both of it got it naturally, so to speak. I wouldn't wish adult chicken pox or shingles on anyone. I discussed also getting the more current 2-shot vaccine with my doctor and made an informed decision not to get it but I get other vaccines, including the annual flu and COVID vaccines.
ReplyDelete'Informed decision' is the key to any action.
DeleteI've been vaccinated for shingles twice and for everything else too. I'm grateful for scientific research and for vaccines, and for hope. I am not a skeptic nor am I a "sheep;" I have a Master's degree and I have studied science with the guidance of experts. Sometimes anti-vaxxers style themselves as skeptics and urge caution about the science but they rarely mention that the scientific process requires that scientists test and retest their evidence, skeptical of their own research too until they reach a critical, empirical tipping point, the same science that has saved countless lives for a century.
ReplyDeleteScientific research is rigorously tested. It is not, as some would believe, driven by big Pharma wanting to make money.
DeleteThat is so interesting. I never had chicken pox, according to my mother, or measles. I have debated getting the vaccine because why put that virus in my body if it has never been there? Still not sure i want to get it, but your argument here is making me reconsider.
ReplyDeleteI understand your point of view and have often wondered the same myself. I considered the pros and cons every time I had my babies vaccinated but always decided they should have the protection. For example, I've seen at first hand the severe effects measles can have.
DeleteI had shingles several years ago and can attest that it is a horribly painful affliction. I did get the vaccination after that to ensure that I never had to go through that again, and I would certainly encourage everyone to get the vaccine unless it is medically contra-indicated for some reason.
ReplyDeleteIt's better to avoid such afflictions if possible, as you have shown.
DeleteVery interesting and encouraging! Another good reason not to put off the shingles vaccination. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lisa.
ReplyDeleteWe did get the earlier shingles vaccination which was not covered by insurance and a bit costly. A couple of years later, the local health dept. offered the current version at no cost, so we got that jab as well. Thankfully, we have never had shingles and from what I have read here that is a very good thing. I did have chickenpox and measles in childhood.
ReplyDeleteIt's annoying when you pay for something and then later it's provided free. I don't think people realise how lucky we are in UK where all vaccinations are free.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I’ll be getting the vaccine when I’m called for it.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
😄
ReplyDeleteThank you for this very important article which I will bookmark for family and friends to see. We have both received our double doses of shingles shots. Husband had it very badly a couple of years ago and our son has a friend who has life-lasting nerve damage and is in constant pain.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds awful. Poor person.
DeleteWhen I had shingles, it wasn't particularly painful at the time, but I've been left with nerve pain ever since. I do not recommend!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry. That sounds most debilitating.
DeleteBoth hubby and my son have had shingles and it was most unpleasant for them both. Son had only had mild chicken pox as a child and hubby doesn't remember having it at all. Both D and I had head to toe with no gaps chicken pox and no shingles so far. That is just our experience.
ReplyDelete