To maximize the shingles vaccine’s value, we need more research, and we need more people to take it. | Getty Images

An elixir for keeping our brains and bodies younger may already be sitting on pharmacy shelves across the United States — if only we’d take advantage of it.

I’m talking about the shingles vaccine.

It was invented because, well, shingles is a terrible disease. If you ever had chickenpox (like I did), this virus is lurking inside your body already. Shingles is the reactivation of the same varicella zoster virus later in life. It can lead to painful red rashes that last for weeks, and for some people, they will suffer from debilitating nerve pain for the rest of their lives.

The debut of the first shingles shot in 2006 was a big public health win for that reason alone. But the benefits may be even greater than we realized at the time.

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Over the past year, there has been a steady stream of studies showing that the shingles vaccine doesn’t just stop the painful skin rashes — it could also stave off dementia and slow our biological aging.

A recent study that tracked specific biomarkers in human samples strengthened the case that there is a genuine cause-and-effect. The science surrounding the shingles vaccine is a new window into how we age and how we might even slow it down. These findings could open doors to powerful new anti-aging, anti-dementia treatments.

But that will require more investment — and researchers working on these projects told me it’s been surprisingly hard to find the necessary financial support. Just as importantly, we need to get more seniors to........

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