April 7, 2026

A common vaccine millions take every year has been linked to ‘significantly lower’ dementia risk in elderly people. A large observational study published in Neurology found that receiving a high-dose flu vaccine is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease in adults aged 65 and older.

The findings were led by researchers at the McGovern Medical School at UTHealth in Houston. In the UK, there are currently estimated to be 982,000 people living with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Society says, rising to 1.4 million in 2040.

In the retrospective cohort study, titled ‘Risk of Alzheimer Dementia After High-Dose vs Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccination’, researchers analysed health data from roughly 165,000 older adults who received either a high-dose or standard-dose influenza vaccine. They found that the high-dose vaccine reduced the risk of Alzheimer’s disease in those 65 and older by nearly 55% over a roughly two-year period.

 

A routine flu jab millions already get every year has just been linked to a dramatic drop in dementia risk, with a major study in Neurology finding that older adults who received the high-dose influenza vaccine had a nearly 55% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease over about two years compared with those given the standard shot. Researchers at UTHealth in Houston analysed health data from around 165,000 people aged 65 and over, and say the extra-strength vaccine — which contains four times the antigen — may offer better protection against flu, cutting the severe illness and inflammation that could help drive neurodegeneration. The findings build on earlier work from the same team showing the standard-dose jab was tied to a 40% reduced risk over four years, as dementia numbers continue to soar, with an estimated 982,000 people living with the condition in the UK alone.

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