Shingles, caused by the varicella-zoster virus, can lead to a painful rash when reactivated in a weakened immune system.

Shingrix, a more effective shingles vaccine, replaced Zostavax in many countries including the UK and U.S., triggering a more potent immune response.

The new shingles vaccine 'Shingrix' shows a reduced risk of dementia compared to the previous vaccine Zostavax.

A study with over 200,000 U.S. participants who received either Zostavax or Shingrix revealed the dementia risk difference.

Using electronic health records, the study showed an increase in diagnosis-free time with the recombinant vaccine.

Results indicated a 17% increase in diagnosis-free time with Shingrix, translating to 164 additional days without a dementia diagnosis.

The study proposed a mechanism involving the herpes virus or adjuvants in the recombinant vaccine to explain the delay in dementia diagnosis.

Researchers from the University of Oxford highlighted the study's significance in potentially reducing dementia risk.

Prof. Paul Harrison finds the results encouraging, emphasizing the importance of interventions to lower dementia risk.

The study suggests that the shingles vaccine could positively impact older adults and public health if validated in clinical trials.