Vaccines Reduce Heart, Stroke and Dementia Risks Up to 34%
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- Zostavax recipients were 26% less likely to die from heart disease or experience stroke, heart attack, or heart failure over an average six‑year follow‑up in a study of more than one million people.
- Shingrix recipients showed a 17% lower risk of developing dementia over six years compared with those who received Zostavax, and Zostavax itself also reduced dementia risk, implying an even larger benefit for Shingrix.
- Flu vaccine recipients had a 34% reduced risk of heart attack or stroke within the following year, according to an analysis of data from over 9,000 participants across six trials, with the benefit larger for people with recent heart problems.
- RSV vaccine recipients aged 60 + were less likely to be hospitalized for heart or lung issues, based on a study of roughly 130,000 individuals.
- COVID‑19 mRNA vaccines have been shown to boost immune response to tumors when combined with immunotherapy, extending patients’ lives.
- Measles vaccine cut global measles deaths from >2 million per year before 1980 to <100,000 in 2024 and also lowered mortality from other infectious diseases by preventing immune cell loss.
Why it matters: Older adults and those with cardiovascular risk factors stand to gain a sizable drop in heart attacks, strokes and dementia by receiving approved vaccines, while health systems could see fewer hospitalizations and lower long‑term care costs. The findings reinforce vaccination as a cost‑effective preventive tool beyond its narrow disease target.
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