A Simple Flu Shot May Cut the Risk of Alzheimer’s, Study Finds

Researchers say the high‑dose flu vaccine triggered a stronger immune response tied to a 55 percent drop in Alzheimer’s risk.

BY LEILA SHERIDAN, NEWS WRITER

As scientists search for ways to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a growing body of research is pointing to a tool already widely in use: vaccines. 

A new study suggests that one version of the flu shot, specifically the high-dose vaccine reserved for adults 65 and older, may offer significantly stronger protection against Alzheimer’s than the standard dose.

According to Medical News Today, researchers found that older adults who received the high-dose influenza vaccine had a 55 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, compared to a 40 percent reduction among those who received the standard dose.

The findings, published in the journal Neurology, add to a broader wave of research linking common vaccines—including those for shingles, tetanus, diphtheria, pneumonia, and influenza—to a reduced risk of dementia.

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Paul Schulz, a professor and neurologist at UTHealth Houston, led the study, which builds on earlier work by his team. In a 2022 study, Schulz and his colleagues found that repeated flu vaccinations were associated with up to a 40 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s over time.

Still, one key question remained.

“The nagging question after these studies was whether we had a true finding versus a spurious one due to ‘the healthy survivor effect,’ also called ‘the healthy vaccinee effect,’” Schulz told Medical News Today. In other words, people who get vaccinated may already engage in healthier behaviors—like exercising, eating well, and seeing doctors regularly—which could independently lower their dementia risk.

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