DEMENTIA IS tragically common among the elderly. In 2021 57m people worldwide were thought to have the condition. Ageing is a risk factor for many other ailments too, ranging from chronic inflammation to a decline in organ function. A growing body of work, however, suggests that simply taking a course of the shingles vaccine can meaningfully slow the decline. New data suggest that it cut dementia risk, for example, by 20%.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Can the shingles vaccine slow ageing?”
From the February 21st 2026 edition
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