# Does the shingles vaccine reduce dementia risk?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-shingles-vaccine-reduce-dementia-risk/1027672>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [February 14, 2026, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-shingles-vaccine-reduce-dementia-risk/1027672 "2026-02-14T21:54:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-shingles-vaccine-reduce-dementia-risk/1027672/21 "2026-02-16T23:19:38Z")

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> [@needscoffee](#):
>
> Your immune system gets “exercised” all the time, not just when you get a vaccination.

Yeah, but that’s like saying that your muscles are working all the time, not just when you are exercising. It doesn’t change the fact that exercise is a direct stimulus that improves overall performance.

I think vaccines do the same thing to the immune system. They “stress” it, but within controlled parameters. The result is a stronger, more resilient ability to fight off _all_ diseases, not just those specifically targeted by the vaccine.

Here’s another example:

[Study finds COVID-19 mRNA vaccine sparks immune response to fight cancer - UF Health](https://ufhealth.org/news/2025/study-finds-covid-19-mrna-vaccine-sparks-immune-response-to-fight-cancer#:%5C~:text=A%20University%20of%20Florida%20and,tumor-fighting%20effects%20of%20immunotherapy) .

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