A study of health records from roughly 70,000 people in the United States has found that recipients of the two‑dose Shingrix shingles vaccine experienced a lower incidence of cardiovascular events in the years after vaccination.
Researchers report that those who received Shingrix had a 12% lower risk of being diagnosed with a heart attack or stroke in the 3.5 years following vaccination compared with people who did not receive the vaccine. The investigators said that, if the finding holds up in further studies, the size of the apparent benefit could be on a par with that seen from daily blood‑pressure lowering medicines.
The authors of the analysis suggested the vaccine’s broader protective effect could translate into thousands of lives saved each year if the association proves causal. Shingrix, a two‑dose vaccine recommended to prevent shingles (herpes zoster) in older adults, is already in use in many countries to reduce the risk and severity of shingles and its complications.
Experts cautioned that the study is observational and cannot establish that the vaccine directly prevents cardiovascular disease. Such studies are vulnerable to confounding factors — for example, people who seek vaccination may differ from those who do not in ways that also affect heart‑attack and stroke risk. The investigators and outside commentators called for randomized trials or additional analyses to confirm the association and to explore possible biological mechanisms.
If subsequent research corroborates the finding, the implication for public health could be significant: higher uptake of the shingles vaccine might yield benefits beyond preventing shingles itself. Until then, clinicians and policymakers will weigh the new evidence alongside existing data on vaccination benefits and risks.