Overview

• University of Oxford researchers analyzed about 430,000 medical records in a study published in npj Vaccines.
• The RSV vaccine was associated with a 29% lower incidence of dementia over the 18 months after vaccination, and the shingles shot showed a similar association.
• Both vaccines use the AS01 adjuvant, which the authors highlight as a plausible common factor behind the observed reduction.
• The team proposes immune pathways involving MPL, QS-21, and interferon-gamma as a potential mechanism, citing supportive animal data.
• The findings are observational and not proof of prevention, and the authors urge clinical and mechanistic studies given the global toll of dementia and the availability of these vaccines.