Skip to content
Le Centre de vaccination AES is now part of the PRELEV Group.
Le Centre de vaccination AES is now part of the PRELEV Group.
When we talk about the shingles vaccine, we usually think of protection against a painful skin infection. But since 2025, science has given us an additional, unexpected reason to take a serious interest in it.
According to a recent article published in 2025 by the Alzheimer Foundation, shingles vaccination could not only prevent this painful skin infection but also reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 20%.[1]
A discovery that changes how we view this vaccine, once considered purely dermatological.
Shingles is an infectious disease linked to the reactivation of the chickenpox virus. After an initial infection, often experienced in childhood, the virus does not completely disappear. It remains dormant in the body, hidden in the nerve ganglia for several decades. It can wake up at any time, but especially after age 50, during a period of immune vulnerability: intense fatigue, prolonged stress, or illness.[2]
In Quebec, one in three people will develop shingles in their lifetime.[3] This figure alone illustrates how widespread this disease is and why it deserves our attention.
Shingles does not always announce itself in an obvious way. Dr. Paul Poirier, a cardiologist at the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec, explains that the visible phase is preceded by marked discomfort, characterized by tingling or a burning sensation. Small red bumps only appear on the skin 24 to 48 hours after these first signals.[4]
This period prior to the rash is often confusing: it can be mistaken for muscle pain, a bruised rib, or even a heart problem if the pain is located in the chest. Recognizing these early signals is essential, as antiviral treatments are much more effective when administered quickly, ideally within 72 hours of the onset of the first symptoms.[5]
The most common complication is postherpetic neuralgia. This pain, which can persist for months or years, significantly alters quality of life, especially in the elderly. It manifests as intense sensations, often described as burning, electric shocks, or stabbing pains along the path of the affected nerve. This pain can impair sleep quality, daily activities, and emotional balance, sometimes leading to situational depression.
The risk of developing this complication increases significantly with age: it affects about 20% of people who get shingles after age 60, and up to 30% after age 80.[5]
In rarer cases, shingles can lead to muscle paralysis, or even a loss of hearing or vision.
When the virus reaches the facial nerve, it can cause paralysis on one side of the face, known as Ramsay Hunt syndrome. When it develops in the ophthalmic area, it can cause serious eye damage and persistent vision problems if treatment is delayed.[6]
For several years, researchers have been interested in the link between viral infections and neurocognitive diseases. The emerging results are striking. Large-scale epidemiological studies conducted by teams from Stanford University and Oxford University analyzed the health data of hundreds of thousands of seniors. Their conclusions converge: people vaccinated against shingles show a significantly lower risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.[2]
A study published in the journal Nature in 2025 analyzed data from more than 280,000 adults in Wales. It established that vaccinated individuals were 20% less likely to develop dementia, in all its forms, over a follow-up of more than seven years.[2] These results were considered particularly robust because they are based on a “natural experiment” protocol, which significantly reduces the usual biases of this type of study.
How can this link be explained? Researchers suggest several hypotheses. Upon reactivation, the varicella-zoster virus could trigger an inflammatory reaction in the brain, promote the accumulation of abnormal proteins associated with Alzheimer’s, or weaken cerebral blood vessels. By reducing the frequency and severity of reactivations, the vaccine may exert an indirect neuroprotective effect.[1]
Dr. Chantal Sauvageau, a member of the Comité sur l’immunisation du Québec, also points out that the Shingrix vaccine, used in Canada since 2023, is much more effective at preventing infection than its predecessor, with an efficacy of about 90% against shingles.[3] This suggests that its protective effect against dementia could be even more pronounced than what early studies measured.
Since 2026, the Government of Quebec has reduced the minimum age required for free shingles vaccination. This vaccine is now offered free of charge to people aged 71 and over, as well as to immunocompromised adults aged 18 and over.[7]
The vaccine consists of two doses spaced 2 to 12 months apart, and its effectiveness in preventing shingles is approximately 90%, maintained for at least 10 years.[7] For people aged 50 to 70, the vaccine is recommended but not covered by the state. Organizations like the Quebec Lung Association are actively campaigning for free coverage to be extended to all adults aged 50 and over, joining the recommendation of the Comité sur l’immunisation du Québec.[3]
It is rare that a single vaccine can offer two such distinct benefits: protecting against a painful and potentially disabling disease, and helping to preserve long-term cognitive health. Yet this is what current scientific data is suggesting more and more clearly.
It is not a cure for Alzheimer’s. But in a context where no curative treatment yet exists for this disease, every accessible and proven protective factor deserves to be taken seriously. The shingles vaccine is one of them.
If you wish to take action, the team at the AES Vaccination Centre is here to welcome you and answer your questions.
Alzheimer Foundation – Shingles and Alzheimer’s: what the research says (2025)
La Presse – Three new studies: the shingles vaccine and dementia (December 30, 2025)
La Presse – Shingles vaccine requested starting at age 50 (February 6, 2026)
Dr. Paul Poirier, cardiologist, Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec
Protégez-Vous – Free shingles vaccination expanded to people aged 71 to 74 (January 2026)
VIDAL – The different forms and complications of shingles
Government of Quebec – Shingles vaccination: eligibility and procedures
Share:
