Do Vaccines Raise or Lower Risk for Dementia? The Jury Remains Out.

In a population-based cohort study, receipt of common vaccines (particularly for influenza and pneumococcus) was associated with increased risk for subsequent dementia.

Infectious diseases have been speculated to be linked to development of dementia. Furthermore, observational studies have suggested that several routine immunizations are associated with decreased risk for dementia, leading to the proposal that vaccination could serve as a preventive measure against this condition. To examine this further, researchers used the U.K. Clinical Practice Research Datalink in a large, population-based cohort study to assess whether receipt of common vaccinations (influenza, pneumococcus, shingles, tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) is associated with decreased risk for developing dementia after a 2-year lag period. The study sample included 13,383,431 dementia-free individuals aged ≥50 who were enrolled between …

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Do Vaccines Raise or Lower Risk for Dementia? The Jury Remains Out.

Topics

Reviewing Author