Shingles vaccine: biological effects beyond prevention?

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) sought to determine whether shingles vaccination was associated with measurable changes in certain biological markers linked to aging. Their analysis focused on a cohort of 3,884 American adults aged 70 and older from the Health and Retirement Study. After adjustment, vaccination was associated with a decrease in the inflammatory score (β = -0.14; p = 0.0027) and epigenetic aging (β = -0.1; p = 0.0001).The results of this study, published in the Journals of Gerontology, “add to emerging evidence suggesting that vaccines may play a role in promoting healthy aging by modulating biological systems beyond infection prevention,” says first author Jung Ki Kim, associate research professor of gerontology at USC.The researchers also observed an association with the expression of age-related genes—a molecular indicator that reflects the biological activity of cells—(β = -0.19; p < 0.0001), as well as with an overall score combining several bodily systems (β = -0.18; p = 0.0002). In contrast, no significant association was found for blood markers associated with neurodegenerative processes, nor for the measured cardiovascular parameters. A more surprising result concerns adaptive immunity, with a slightly higher score in vaccinated individuals (β = 0.09; p = 0.0133), suggesting a less favourable immune profile according to the criteria used by the authors.They propose a hypothesis centred on chronic low-grade inflammation, often associated with aging. By reducing the reactivation of the latent varicella-zoster virus, vaccination could mitigate this persistent immune stimulation and influence several systems. “The association between shingles vaccination and slower biological aging suggests that the effects of immune modulation could impact several areas of the physiology of aging,” the researchers write. The observed signal thus affects inflammation, epigenetics, and gene expression.However, the authors urge caution and refrain from establishing a causal link. “All the biomarker data were cross-sectional, which limits our ability to draw conclusions about changes over time,” they explain. Furthermore, the effect sizes remain modest, on the order of 0.15 to 0.20 standard deviations. Most importantly, the lack of association with blood markers linked to neurodegenerative processes tempers any extrapolation toward potential cognitive prevention.Canadian and Quebec frameworksIn Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends the recombinant shingles vaccine (RZV), marketed under the name Shingrix, for immunocompetent adults aged 50 and over, as well as for immunocompromised individuals aged 18 and over. The regimen consists of two doses. The American study, for its part, focused on the older live attenuated vaccine Zostavax, which is no longer the preferred product in the country.In Quebec, shingles vaccination is offered free of charge to individuals aged 71 and over, as well as to immunocompromised adults aged 18 and over, with a recently announced expansion of the program to include those aged 71-74. Each year, the province records approximately 27,000 cases of shingles, including nearly 600 hospitalizations and about ten deaths, with the disease primarily affecting adults aged 50 and over.These figures highlight the clinical burden that vaccination aims to reduce, particularly through the prevention of postherpetic neuralgia, which occurs in a significant proportion of cases. The Quebec program relies on the recombinant vaccine, but recent consolidated data on vaccination coverage in the target population have not yet been published.Communication strategy?Neither the NACI guidelines nor Quebec policy make reference to potential beneficial effects on markers of biological aging. However, research by scientists at the University of Southern California suggests a consistent signal in favor of a more favourable biological profile in vaccinated individuals, centred on inflammation and molecular clocks. This data remains exploratory and demonstrates neither causality nor measurable clinical benefit, let alone a neurodegenerative effect. Nevertheless, it could inform discussions on the messages associated with vaccination at a time when vaccine adherence is declining in the general population.This article has been translated from its original French and first appeared on our sister site Profession Santé. Reference:Kim JK, Crimmins EM. Association between shingles vaccination and slower biological aging: Evidence from a U.S. population-based cohort study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. Jan 20, 2026:glag008. doi:10.1093/gerona/glag008

Shingles vaccine: biological effects beyond prevention?

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