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Have results from recent quasi-experimental trials around herpes zoster vaccination and dementia risk/progression affected your clinical practice?

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2833335
1 Answer
Mednet MemberInvited Expert
Geriatric Medicine · Johns Hopkins
Answered on

There have been several studies that have suggested that herpes zoster vaccination may reduce the risk of dementia. One risk of applying these studies to clinical care is that these studies are observational, meaning there has not been a randomized controlled trial comparing people were randomly assigned to getting vs. not getting the vaccine. In general, people who are healthier and more proactive about their health may be more likely to get a vaccine and they may also be less likely to get dementia. With all of this in mind, I do share with patients who are unsure about getting the shingles vaccine (and who I think would benefit from it) that there are several studies that show that getting this vaccine might reduce the risk of dementia. ...

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