LOS ANGELES — A study from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology (the study of aging) indicates that older adults who receive a shingles vaccination may experience a slower rate of biological aging. The research suggests that the vaccine’s impact goes beyond preventing illness, potentially influencing the way the body naturally ages.
According to the study, published in the Journals of Gerontology, researchers analyzed data from a national health survey to compare signs of biological aging between people who were vaccinated and those who were not.
Study Details and Results
Researchers Jung Ki Kim and Eileen Crimmins analyzed data from more than 3,800 people in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, focusing on participants who were at least 70 years old in 2016. The research showed that vaccinated participants had much lower levels of inflammation than those who had not received the shot. The study also observed slower changes in how genes behave as people get older.
Researchers say these results are important because keeping inflammation low and genes stable is key to healthy aging. This could help prevent issues like heart disease and memory loss.
Long-Term Benefits
These benefits appeared to last for several years. Participants still showed signs of slower biological aging even if they had been vaccinated four or more years earlier.
Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus—the same virus that causes chickenpox—which can "wake up" in the body years after an initial infection. The condition is most dangerous for people over 50 and those with weakened immune systems.
The USC study looked at how vaccines might provide broad protection by changing how the body’s internal systems work. The results indicate that the shingles vaccine may help maintain overall health, far beyond its original goal of preventing shingles outbreaks.
