The shingles vaccine, recommended for adults 50 and older, may do more than prevent a painful rash — it appears to protect the brain. Taking advantage of a vaccine rollout in Wales that worked like a natural experiment, Stanford researchers found that people who received the shot were about 20 percent less likely to develop dementia over the following seven years. A December 2025 follow-up published in the journal Cell went further, suggesting the vaccine may even slow decline in people who already have dementia. Researchers are not yet sure why. One theory is that the vaccine quiets reactivation of the chickenpox virus, which lingers in the nerves for life and may stir up inflammation in the brain. The protective effect has shown up more strongly in women than in men.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.