Flu and Pneumonia Vaccines Linked to Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s

The authors propose that the shots might keep the immune system primed to battle diseases that would otherwise contribute to cognitive decline.

Written byAmanda Heidt

| 3 min read

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Alzheimer's Disease, Neurology, Influenza, Pneumonia, Vaccine, Pneumococcal, Immune System, Dementia

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Two studies presented Monday (July 27) at this year’s virtual Alzheimer’s Association International Conference have demonstrated that flu and pneumococcal vaccines are linked with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

In both studies, individuals who had received at least one vaccination—a flu shot in one study, and a pneumonia vaccine with or without a flu shot in the second—were less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s later in life. While the studies are slightly different, their similar conclusions suggest that vaccines may play a broader role in strengthening a person’s lifelong resistance to some diseases.

“This is an encouraging finding that builds upon prior evidence that vaccination against common infectious diseases—such as the flu—is associated with a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s and a delay in disease onset,” Richard Isaacson, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center who was not involved in either study, tells CNN.

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Meet the Author

Amanda Heidt
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Amanda first began dabbling in scicom as a master’s student studying marine science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, where she edited the student blog and interned at a local NPR station. She enjoyed that process of demystifying science so much that after receiving her degree in 2019, she went straight into a second master’s program in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Formerly an intern at The Scientist, Amanda joined the team as a staff reporter and editor in 2021 and oversaw the publication’s internship program, assigned and edited the Foundations, Scientist to Watch, and Short Lit columns, and contributed original reporting across the publication. Amanda’s stories often focus on issues of equity and representation in academia, and she brings this same commitment to DEI to the Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains and to the board of the National Association of Science Writers, which she has served on since 2022. She is currently based in the outdoor playground that is Moab, Utah. Read more of her work at www.amandaheidt.com.
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