A shingles shot given around the time of a skilled nursing facility stay may be tied to something larger than protection from a painful rash. In a large U.S. analysis, older adults who received Shingrix were less likely to be diagnosed with dementia over the next four years, a finding that adds weight to a growing and still unsettled idea. The study followed more than 500,000 adults ages 66 and older who were admitted to skilled nursing facilities between 2017 and 2022 for short-term rehabilitation or long-term care. All were eligible for the recombinant shingles vaccine, known as RZV or Shingrix, and none had a prior dementia diagnosis when they entered the study. Researchers compared people who received at least one dose of Shingrix during their facility stay or within 12 months after admission with those who did not get the vaccine during that period or during follow-up. Over four years, 18.8% of vaccinated adults were diagnosed with dementia, compared with 24.6% of those who were not vaccinated. That worked out to a 24% lower …