I want to feel as if I’ve done everything I can to try to head it off, in terms of risk factors and preventive measures that are available to me now,
says Jenny, a 50-year-old marketing and branding professional from Cambridge.
Driven by mounting fears of cognitive decline, adults across the UK are paying roughly £450 out of pocket for the shingles vaccine, as high street pharmacies report surging demand despite the NHS offering the two-dose series free only to eligible groups. While many seek the shots simply to avoid the painful rash triggered by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, dozens of people have stated that preventing dementia is at least part of their reason for getting vaccinated.
Studies and Scientific Suspitions
This pattern emerges in the wake of numerous research papers indicating—though not definitively establishing—that receiving the shingles vaccination could potentially shield individuals from dementia. Scientists have reported as much as a 20% reduction in risk, with the strongest effects seen in women. Researchers suspect that the varicella zoster virus, which lies dormant in neurons after a childhood infection, can reactivate as the immune system weakens with age. In the brain, this can drive inflammation, nerve cell stress, and the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
High Street Pharmacy Bookings
Data provided by Boots reveals that appointments for its shingles immunization program grew by more than 100% across the preceding twelve months, building on a 30% increase observed the year prior. A similar trend has played out at Superdrug, where bookings are up 41% year on year. Although the vaccine is not approved for any condition other than preventing shingles, researchers continue to study its potential wider impacts as global dementia cases are projected to rise with an aging population.
