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Shingles vaccine may help elderly to live longer
- On January 20, 2026, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology researchers published a study in the Journals of Gerontology, Series A linking shingles vaccination to slower biological aging in older U.S. adults.
- Using nationally representative U.S. Health and Retirement Study data from 2016, researchers analyzed more than 3,800 adults aged 70 and older to test shingles vaccination's impact on biological aging.
- The team measured seven biological‑aging domains, including inflammation, innate immunity, adaptive immunity, cardiovascular hemodynamics, neurodegeneration, epigenetic aging, and transcriptomic aging, and combined them into a composite biological aging score to compare individuals.
- Those vaccinated four or more years earlier still showed slower epigenetic, transcriptomic and overall biological aging on average, and authors said these findings warrant further study to inform healthy‑ageing strategies.
- Broader research has linked adult vaccines including shingles and influenza to lower dementia and neurodegenerative disorder risks, supported by the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health.
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32 Articles
A study by the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California (USC) suggests that the herpes zoster vaccine not only protects against the disease, but could also contribute to a slower biological aging in older adults. Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, with more than 3,800 participants aged 70 or older, and observed that those who were vaccinated showed a slower rate of biological …
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Total News Sources32
Leaning Left7Leaning Right5Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution37% Left, 37% Center
Bias Distribution
- 37% of the sources lean Left, 37% of the sources are Center
37% Center
L 37%
C 37%
R 26%
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