A large majority of older adults say they would be interested in getting a vaccine that significantly lowers their risk of dementia, according to a new survey by the University of Southern California.
While there isn’t currently an approved vaccine to prevent dementia, there is strong and growing evidence that the shingles vaccine can lower the risk of developing dementia by around 15-20%. Several other vaccines have also been linked to lower dementia risk, and vaccine candidates targeting dementia’s underlying biology are in development.
For this study, published in JAMA Network Open, researchers surveyed 1,529 adults aged 50 and older about their interest in receiving a low-cost, multi-dose vaccine that would cut dementia risk in half for those at high risk.
Overall, 72% of respondents said they would likely or definitely get a dementia-preventing vaccine, 21% were unsure, and 7% said they likely or definitely would not. Interest grew with age: those who said they would definitely get the vaccine rose from 31% among people in their 50s to 35% among those 70 and older.
But the survey also revealed gaps in enthusiasm along demographic lines. Even though women appear to get better protection against dementia from the shingles vaccine than men, they were more likely to express hesitancy—23% compared with 19%, respectively. Women were also less likely to say they would definitely get vaccinated—29% versus 39%.
Black adults showed the highest hesitancy among racial and ethnic groups surveyed at 26%, and were nearly half as likely as white adults to say they would definitely get the vaccine, 20% compared with 36%.
As vaccine candidates targeting dementia's underlying biology continue moving through development, the researchers say the findings suggest a receptive public overall, but one where targeted outreach may be needed to close hesitancy gaps.
Data from University of Southern California