Shingrix is a onetime vaccination, given in two doses a few months apart. The CDC recommends it starting at age 50 for most people but also for younger adults with certain immune-weakening conditions – including those who years ago got that first-generation shingles vaccine. Fewer than 40% of eligible Americans have gotten vaccinated.

Researchers at Stanford University found evidence that suggests the shingles vaccine lowers the risk of developing dementia. Evidence from the study suggested the vaccine cut the risk of developing dementia over the next seven years by 20%. The research observed people who received a first-generation vaccine called Zostavax.

G etting vaccinated for the viral illness shingles, which causes a painful rash, could potentially be the next best tool in preventing dementia, a new study published in Nature fi