Overview
- Researchers examined electronic health records from more than 174,000 adults across 107 U.S. health systems, comparing those who received the recombinant zoster vaccine with those who did not.
- Vaccination was associated with substantially lower risks over roughly 1.5 to 3.5 years, including about 50% less vascular dementia, 27% fewer blood clots, 25% fewer heart attacks or strokes, and 21% lower mortality.
- The analysis reinforced prior evidence that a shingles episode is linked to higher subsequent risks, including roughly 20% more heart attacks, 27% more strokes, and up to 30% higher death rates.
- Investigators emphasized the study’s retrospective design, noting that the associations cannot establish causation and that the findings await peer-reviewed publication.
- The CDC already recommends two doses of shingles vaccine for everyone 50 and older, and about one in three Americans will develop shingles in their lifetime.