Vaccine linked to lower dementia

New research has found that GSK's shingles vaccine Shingrix is linked to a larger reduction in the risk of dementia than MSD's vaccine, Zostavax.

When Zostavax was launched in 2006 several studies suggested that the risk of dementia might be lower in people who had received the vaccine, although the results were inconclusive. With the vaccine largely replaced by Shingrix, there were concerns that results from prior studies were no longer relevant.

According to the AIHW, there were an estimated 411,100 Australians living with dementia in 2023, nearly two thirds being women, and the total is predicted to more than double to 849,300 by 2058 due to the ageing population. It is the second-highest cause of death in Australia, and the second-highest cause of burden of disease.