Vaccines are already under renewed scrutiny globally, with public debate largely focused on what they prevent. What has received far less attention is what they may actively improve — well beyond their stated targets.
According to the report, a study of more than a million people found that recipients of the Zostavax shingles vaccine were 26 per cent less likely to die from heart disease or experience a stroke, heart attack, or heart failure over an average of six years following the shot. The scale of that reduction, for a single, low-cost intervention, is notable.
The cardiovascular picture extends to flu vaccines as well. An analysis combining data from more than 9,000 people across six trials found that those vaccinated against flu had a 34 per cent lower risk of heart attack or stroke in the following year. The benefit was greater still among people with a recent history of heart problems.
Dementia, Cancer, and the Immune System
The newer shingles vaccine, Shingrix, was found to make recipients 17 per cent less likely to develop dementia over six years compared to those given Zostavax. Since separate studies have shown Zostavax also reduces dementia risk, the report states the overall protective effect of Shingrix should be larger still. Flu and tuberculosis vaccines have also been associated with reduced dementia risk in multiple studies.
RSV vaccines add to the pattern. A study involving around 130,000 people over 60 found that those who received one type of RSV vaccine were less likely to be hospitalised with heart or lung complications than unvaccinated individuals. Covid-19 mRNA vaccines, the report says, have been found to boost immune responses to tumours when used alongside immunotherapy, extending patients’ lives.
The underlying reasons are not fully established, but the report outlines a plausible framework. Viral infections cause direct physical damage to the body, and the immune response itself can harm tissue. Cytokine storms — in which the body releases excessive immune-signalling molecules — are frequently what kill patients in severe flu or covid-19 cases. Multiple sclerosis, the report notes, is increasingly linked to the immune response triggered by the Epstein-Barr virus.
Infections Leave Longer Trails Than Expected
Some viruses persist in the body indefinitely. The varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox in childhood, lies dormant in nerve cells and resurfaces decades later as shingles. Others, like HPV, insert their genetic material directly into human cells — which is why HPV leads to certain cancers.
The report points to long covid as having raised broader awareness of how infections that appear mild, such as flu in young people, can leave effects that are not immediately or obviously tied to the original illness. Even infections commonly regarded as manageable may carry consequences that only surface years later.
In the US and Australia, shingles vaccination is recommended for people over 50 or adults with weakened immune systems. In the UK, public healthcare provision covers only those aged 70 to 79, unless the individual has a compromised immune system — meaning younger adults who want the vaccine must access it privately.
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
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