Flu Shots Could Reduce The Risk of Dementia, New Study Claims
The research study found that flu shots have more than one health benefit.
Flu shots have long been recommended for preventing seasonal influenza. Still, recent research suggests that they might also have an unexpected benefit — lowering the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. People magazine reports that a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that getting an annual flu shot was associated with a 17% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s and a 13% reduction in the risk of other dementias.
“Vaccines are the great public health success story of our generation,” Paul Schultz, professor of neurology and Director of the Neurocognitive Disorders Center at McGovern Medical School, said. “They keep you safe from any number of infections, many of which can be life-threatening. And now it appears there is another tremendous benefit, this one against a disease that is among the most feared.”
