Shingles Vaccination May Promote Healthy Aging

TUESDAY, Jan. 27, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Shingles vaccination may influence certain biological systems related to aging, according to a study published online Jan. 20 in The Journals of Gerontology Series A.

Jung Ki Kim, Ph.D., and Eileen M. Crimmins, Ph.D., both from the Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California, examined whether shingles vaccination is associated with more favorable profiles across seven biological aging domains — inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, cardiovascular hemodynamics, neurodegeneration, and epigenetic and transcriptomic aging — as well as a composite biological aging score using data from the U.S. Health and Retirement Study. A total of 3,884 adults aged 70 years and older in 2016 were included in the analyses, with biological measures drawn from venous blood, flow cytometry, and physical assessments.

The researchers observed a significant association for shingles vaccination with lower inflammation scores, slower epigenetic and transcriptomic aging, and a lower composite biological aging score (b = −0.14, −0.17, −0.19, and −0.18, respectively), suggesting potential benefits in terms of systemic inflammation, molecular aging, and overall biological aging. However, there was also an association seen for vaccination with higher adaptive immunity scores (b = 0.09). The improvements in epigenetic, transcriptomic, and overall composite biological aging were most pronounced within three years postvaccination; beyond this window, slower aging persisted.

“This study adds to emerging evidence that vaccines could play a role in promoting healthy aging by modulating biological systems beyond infection prevention,” Kim said in a statement.

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