# Want to Significantly Reduce the Possibility of Dementia: Get the Shingles Vaccine **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 27, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655 "2023-05-27T04:27:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/1 "2023-05-27T04:27:48Z")
This is just a Twitter thread,so its reliability is somewhat suspect until further evaluation: > I personally have been thinking of getting the shingles vaccine for a long time but have hesitated because of a lot of reports it is painful. But this information if validated would probably change my mind. Any thoughts on this study? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/2 "2023-05-27T04:45:45Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > I personally have been thinking of getting the shingles vaccine for a long time but have hesitated because of a lot of reports it is painful. I had the vaccine and had no adverse side effects. I’m willing to bet that the pain from a 3 -5 week case shingles is worse than anything you’d get from the vaccine. As far as Alzheimer’s being caused by a virus…he uses the word causal. I do not think it means what he thinks it means. ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/3 "2023-05-27T04:51:47Z")
Interesting! I don’t feel qualified to comment on the methodology, even though it seems plausible and convincing to me. The article isn’t peer reviewed yet, but the researchers involved have academic credentials from top universities including Stanford, Heidelberg and Harvard, and don’t sound like quacks. And now I speak as someone who has had the shingles shot and has also cared for parents with dementia. The 1-2 days of mild pain and discomfort from the shot are nothing compared to the months and years of pain and disorientation endured by people with dementia and their caregivers. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/4 "2023-05-27T04:54:06Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > he uses the word causal. I do not think it means what he thinks it means. I think it’s appropriate use of the word causal. The evidence is purely statistical, but the unusual circumstances of eligibility for the vaccine surely mean that the sample is random with respect to any confounding variables, proving a causal relationship. They don’t have direct evidence for the _mechanism_, I assume that’s what you mean. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/5 "2023-05-27T04:57:38Z")
Well, I don’t think they have any evidence that alzheimer’s is caused by a virus. I am excited by the fact that a simple vaccine may be doing something else that is having the positive effect. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/6 "2023-05-27T05:14:53Z")
I was sold on the shingles vaccine after I saw what my aunt’s outbreaks were like. No, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/7 "2023-05-27T05:15:11Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I don’t think they have any evidence that alzheimer’s is caused by a virus. The causal relationship that they have proved is between the shingles vaccine and Alzheimers. It is a purely statistical study, they don’t know anything about the specific mechanism. That is not _conclusive_ evidence that Alzheimer’s is caused by a virus, but it certainly constitutes significant evidence pointing in that direction. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/8 "2023-05-27T05:22:23Z")
My wife and I both had the shingles vaccine. For both of us, it resulted in a couple of days of feeling kinda under the weather. I’d say it’s slightly worse than a flu or COVID vaccine, but not much. It’s WAY better than a bout of shingles. And if this research pans out and it actually reduces the likelihood of Alzheimer’s too, well holy mother of God. My mom and my father-in-law both went through YEARS of misery dealing with that horrible disease, as did their family members. If I hadn’t already had the vaccine, I’d be on the phone with my doctor tomorrow morning. ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/9 "2023-05-27T05:48:31Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > If I hadn’t already had the vaccine, I’d be on the phone with my doctor tomorrow morning. Yeppers. I once nursed a young, healthy man through shingles and it was pretty horrible. I got my shingles shot as soon as I could and it was worse than a flu shot. Then things changed and the two shot vacs came out and I got them as well. Worse than COVID shots, still better than what I saw happening to my friend. I’ve watched several family members die of Alzheimer’s, enough that if getting another set of shingles shots would help, I’d be right there yet again. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/10 "2023-05-27T05:52:13Z")
Hm, interesting that the study is based on Zostavax. Zostavax is, I believe, no longer used in the US because Shringrix has been shown to be more effective in preventing shingles. I wonder if Shingrix would also be more (or less?) effective in preventing dementia. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/11 "2023-05-27T07:11:21Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Well, I don’t think they have any evidence that alzheimer’s is caused by a virus. They aren’t claiming that they do. They’re saying there’s a causal relationship between getting the shingles vaccine and a decrease in the rate of new diagnoses of dementia. Alzheimer’s is not the only cause of dementia. So, they haven’t made a claim about that – they have said it’s a possibility. > [@Riemann](#): > > The causal relationship that they have proved is between the shingles vaccine and Alzheimers. No, they haven’t. The connection is to dementia, not Alzheimer’s specifically. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/12 "2023-05-27T07:20:44Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > No, they haven’t. The connection is to dementia, not Alzheimer’s specifically. In fact they looked at different types of dementia separately, including Alzheimer’s, and found a similar effect size. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/13 "2023-05-27T07:59:10Z")
My grandmother and her brother both suffered greatly from dementia later in their life, so this has only got me more interested in getting a shingles vaccine as soon as I’m old enough. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/14 "2023-05-27T08:09:18Z")
I’ve never had chicken pox. Would this vaccine still do me any kind of good? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/15 "2023-05-27T08:46:56Z")
According to the CDC, you should get the shingles vaccine even if you don’t remember ever having chickenpox. I’m on the opposite side of the equation - I’m one of the rare unfortunate few who got chickenpox twice - once when I was 5, and again when I was 7, with the second bout being MUCH worse than the first. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/16 "2023-05-27T10:48:19Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > They’re saying there’s a causal relationship between getting the shingles vaccine and a decrease in the rate of new diagnoses of dementia Maybe the vaccine itself has no effect. What is being shown statistically is that the group that _chooses to receive the vaccine_ is less likely to be those who one day will experience dementia. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/17 "2023-05-27T11:06:58Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m on the opposite side of the equation - I’m one of the rare unfortunate few who got chickenpox twice - once when I was 5, and again when I was 7, with the second bout being MUCH worse than the first. I also had it twice. Don’t remember much difference between the two episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/18 "2023-05-27T11:45:49Z")
The Shingrix vaccine is a two part deal, so you have to put up with the arm pain twice. But as has been said, having shingles is horribly painful, so take your choice. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/19 "2023-05-27T12:52:25Z")
> [@eschrodinger](#): > > They aren’t claiming that they do. Are you sure? Because it is what the Twit says. > [@PastTense](#): > > So, could a virus cause Alzheimer’s-\>YES! ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2023, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655/20 "2023-05-27T12:54:29Z")
I had shingles a couple of months ago. Never had the vaccine as I am too young to get it routinely. Folk say the vaccine is painful but it CAN’T be worse then the actual shingles. That f\*cking sucked. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/want-to-significantly-reduce-the-possibility-of-dementia-get-the-shingles-vaccine/984655.md?page=2)