• A woman receiving the measles vaccine in MexicoJULIO CESAR AGUILAR/AFP via Getty Images A woman receiving the measles vaccine in Mexico JULIO CESAR AGUILAR/AFP via Getty Images I am currently arranging to get a shingles vaccination. • I had shingles at university and still bear the scars, so I really don’t want to risk getting it again. • But I also have in mind the fact that the benefits of the shingles vaccine are not limited to preventing shingles. • And this isn’t unusual. • We’re discovering that many vaccines have benefits that go way beyond protecting against a single virus or bacterium - facts that are not nearly as widely known as they should be. • Let’s start with shingles.

Article Summaries:

  • A recent article highlights that several vaccines offer health benefits beyond preventing their target diseases. A large‑scale study found that the Zostavax shingles vaccine cut heart‑related deaths and cardiovascular events by 26 % over six years, while the newer Shingrix vaccine lowered dementia risk by 17 % compared with Zostavax. Similar cardiovascular reductions are seen with flu, tuberculosis, and RSV vaccines, and COVID‑19 mRNA shots may enhance anti‑tumor immunity when paired with immunotherapy. The author notes that these broader benefits likely stem from vaccines’ ability to temper chronic inflammation and cytokine responses. In the UK, shingles shots are publicly available only to 70‑79‑year‑olds, prompting many to seek private vaccination.
  • I am currently arranging to get a shingles vaccination. I had shingles at university and still bear the scars, so I really don’t want to risk getting it again. But I also have in mind the fact that the benefits of the shingles vaccine are not limited to preventing shingles. And this isn’t unusual. We’re discovering that many vaccines have benefits that go way beyond protecting against a single virus or bacterium - facts that are not nearly as widely known as they should be. Let’s start with shingles. A study of more than a million people last year reported that those given the Zostavax shingle

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