Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41663414›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Recombinant zoster vaccine is associated with a reduced risk of dementia.

Emily Rayens, Lina S Sy, Lei Qian, Bradley K Ackerson, Julia Tubert, Yi Luo, Punam P Modha, Raul O Calderon, Elizabeth Chmielewski-Yee, Driss Oraichi and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Neuro- and cardioprotective benefits of recombinant herpes zoster vaccination.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2026
    Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Emily RayensDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA. Emily.X.Rayens@kp.org.ORCID 0000-0003-3369-3475
Lina S SyDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2762-9266
Lei QianDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8001-3992
Bradley K AckersonDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0816-7345
Julia TubertDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Yi LuoDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-8990-2470
Punam P ModhaDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Raul O CalderonDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.ORCID 0009-0001-3408-1828
Elizabeth Chmielewski-YeeGSK, Rockville, MD, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3223-7964
Driss OraichiGSK, Rockville, MD, USA.
Huifeng YunGSK, Rockville, MD, USA.
Carol KoroGSK, Collegeville, PA, USA.
Hung Fu TsengDepartment of Research & Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Pasadena, CA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-6184-6534

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Vaccines to prevent herpes zoster have been associated with reduced dementia risk. We conducted a retrospective matched cohort study of Kaiser Permanente Southern California members aged ≥65 years who received two doses of RZV 4 weeks-6 months apart between 01 April 2018 and 31 December 2020, with no dementia diagnoses or dementia medications prior to or within 6 months of their second RZV dose. Cox regression with inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs). The study included 65,800 RZV-vaccinated individuals and 263,200 unvaccinated matches. Vaccination with two doses of RZV was associated with a 51% lower risk of dementia (aHR: 0.49 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.46-0.51]); aHRs were comparable across age, and racial and ethnic groups, but the risk reduction was stronger in females compared to males. In an evaluation of potential healthy vaccinee bias, the aHR of dementia for RZV compared to Tdap was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.67-0.79). Vaccination with two doses of RZV is associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of dementia in adults aged ≥65 years. After accounting for healthy vaccinee bias, RZV vaccination remains associated with a statistically significant lower risk of dementia.

Indexed as

DementiaHerpes ZosterHerpes Zoster VaccineAgedAged, 80 and overCaliforniaFemaleHumansMaleProportional Hazards ModelsRetrospective StudiesVaccinationVaccines, SyntheticHerpes Zoster VaccineVaccines, Synthetic

Identifiers

PMID41663414
PMCPMC12949228

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.