The writer is a science commentator
The shingles vaccine could, at a stretch, be labelled an accidental blockbuster. It does its intended job of fending off the varicella-zoster virus, which causes both chickenpox and shingles, but a growing body of evidence hints it also protects against dementia, particularly among women.
Over the past year, data from separate vaccine rollouts in Wales, Australia, Canada and the US suggests it can delay the onset of dementia, slow down its progress and cut the risk of death among those already diagnosed. Despite the vaccine being aimed at the over-50s, the 39-year-old researcher leading some of the analyses is so convinced by the data that he has had the jab himself.
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