Vaccines & Alzheimer's Disease ~ Dr. Domenico Pratico' MD, FCPP
- praticolabalzheime
- Jun 24
- 4 min read
Usually when we think of a vaccine, we imagine a substance that is administered to stimulate an individual's immune response to a particular infectious microorganism (for example, a virus) with the aim of protecting them against the disease caused by that agent. However, there may also be a positive link between vaccines and Alzheimer's disease.
Some recent clinical studies have begun to provide new evidence in favor of the hypothesis that vaccinations against some of the most common infectious diseases would also protect against the onset or progression of Alzheimer's disease.
However, it is important to immediately note that this news is not completely novel or surprising since for some years there have been empirical observations supporting the idea that the activation of the immune system resulting from the administration of an anti-viral vaccine could prevent or slow the onset of Alzheimer's disease. In fact, some previous studies conducted on a limited number of patients presented some very encouraging data on a possible relationship between the vaccinations received and the risk of developing dementia in subsequent years. So let's further explore what the studies so far suggest about vaccines and Alzheimer's disease.
In a recent study, the authors evaluated more than 200,000 adults who had received the common vaccinations normally recommended in the United States by the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, such as the diphtheria, tetanus, and pneumococcal vaccine. On the other side of the study, the researchers evaluated and used as a comparison a group of adults very similar to the first in every demographic point of view, such as age, sex, education, etc., but who had not received any vaccines.
At the time of enrollment in the study, none of these individuals in either the first or second group had obvious clinical signs of cognitive impairment or dementia for at least two years before vaccination. All individuals enrolled were at least 65 years of age at the start of the study and were then followed for at least another 8 years. At the end of this period, the researchers examined the total number of cases of Alzheimer's disease developed in each of the two groups.
By doing this analysis, it was seen that compared to those who had never been vaccinated, individuals who had received one or more of the vaccines we indicated above had a significant reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's between 25-30%.
This study is very important not only because it confirms preliminary observations on the administration of vaccines and the risk of developing dementia, but also because it is in line with some very recent observations that have indicated that exposure to infectious agents (such as the herpes virus) could be considered a new risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease.
In this regard, it is interesting to note that a new study that examined the relationship between being vaccinated against the herpes zoster virus (responsible for the disease "shingles") and the onset of dementia has in fact confirmed that this vaccination has a decidedly positive effect in preventing dementia. Read the study published in Nature.
Although all these results are very interesting and encouraging for all of us, there are still some questions to which we do not have a clear answer.
A key question is for example the following: what is the mechanism through which the administration of these vaccines would protect against the onset of Alzheimer's disease?
A possible answer to this question is that vaccines, by providing instructions to the immune system to respond to a particular infectious agent, would indirectly prepare the immune cells to respond more effectively to an insult or damage to the brain. Another hypothesis, also valid, is that vaccines would prepare the immune cells of the brain to produce a reactive response of a protective inflammatory nature only, without the negative aspects, and therefore capable of removing any harmful agents without causing damage to the brain, indeed protecting it.
In conclusion, vaccines not only save the lives of millions of people against diseases that would otherwise be fatal, but today there is an additional reason to get vaccinated as these therapeutic tools that are available to everyone can also provide long-term benefits that we had never considered before: the health of our brain.
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Domenico Praticò, MD, holds the Scott Richards North Star Charitable Foundation Chair for Alzheimer’s Research and serves as a Professor and Founding Director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple, as well as a Professor of Neural Sciences at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.
For more information on the research conducted by Dr. Domenico Pratico, please visit this link.
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Stay updated with the work happening at Dr. Domenico Pratico's lab by visiting the Pratico Lab website.
When my Alzheimer’s symptoms began to worsen forgetting names, losing my way, and struggling with everyday tasks I felt overwhelmed and frightened. Traditional medications offered limited help, and I started to believe there was nothing more that could be done. That’s when I discovered NaturePath Herbal Clinic.From the very beginning, their approach felt different. The team took time to listen, understand my symptoms, and tailor a natural herbal therapy specifically for me. Within a few weeks, I began noticing changes my thoughts felt clearer, I had fewer moments of confusion, and even my mood improved. My family noticed the difference too.While Alzheimer’s is still a part of my life, I finally feel like I have a sense of control again.…