Demand For Shingles Vaccine Soars As Patients Seek Dementia Protection

“Imagine a vaccine that became a medicine for dementia,” says John Todd, professor of precision medicine at the University of Oxford.

British high street chemists have reported a sharp surge in demand for the shingles vaccine, driven in part by individuals seeking to prevent dementia. While the vaccine is intended to prevent the painful rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, some patients are motivated by a series of studies suggesting the vaccination might offer protection against dementia.

Rising Pharmacy Bookings

Superdrug has seen a similar trend, with bookings increasing 41% year on year.

For many under-65s, the full two doses cost approximately £450, though the NHS provides the vaccine for free to some individuals. Despite the cost, some patients are pursuing the shots as a preventive measure against a disease that currently has no cure.

Potential Links to Brain Health

Scientists have reported that the vaccine could potentially reduce the risk of dementia by as much as 20%, with the most significant effects observed in women.

In 2024, Todd worked with psychiatrists Paul Harrison and Maxime Taquet to examine Shingrix, a potent newer vaccine that has mostly replaced Zostavax. Pascal Geldsetzer, an epidemiologist involved in Stanford studies, says there is a “really compelling body of data” from this research.

Cardiovascular Findings

Study author Maxime Taquet, PhD, told Health that the results show a “strong, well-controlled association,” though he noted the observational data “is not proof of cause and effect.” Taquet explained that the protection was most potent in the first few years before fading. To avoid “healthy-vaccinee bias,” where vaccinated people have different health behaviors than those who are not, researchers compared groups across the U.S. transition from Zostavax to Shingrix.

Global Dementia Projections

The drive for preventive measures comes as global dementia cases are projected to rise from nearly 60 million people to more than 100 million by 2040. In Wales and England, it is expected that 1.7 million people could be affected by that year, with annual costs reaching £90bn.

While the vaccine is not approved for any condition other than shingles, some patients are willing to take the shot for the potential of gaining more time without the onset of the disease.

The CDC recommends two Shingrix doses for certain immunocompromised adults aged 19 and older and adults 50 and older, stating vaccination is “the only way to protect yourself against this painful disease.”

More on this story: Study Links Glucosamine to Faster Dementia Progression