By Jess Cockerill – Science Alert –
A vaccine for shingles could protect against dementia according to a new study that took advantage of a quirk in Wales’ vaccine rollout scheme.
Shingles is a condition characterized by localized blistering, which largely affects adults who’ve previously had chickenpox. The varicella zoster virus that causes both of the conditions invades the nervous system before falling dormant, only to emerge again long after the symptoms of chickenpox are gone.
There’s mounting evidence that common viral infections like shingles may contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease by seeding the amyloid plaques thought to trigger neurodegeneration. If true, vaccines protecting people from the virus may come with the added benefit of reducing dementia risk, nabbing two diseases for the price of one.
