Do vaccines prevent AD and Parkinsons?

[giftsplash]

This was discussed a few times here. Curious if their are any data that shows that HSV vaccines and other lower chance of Alzheimers not just in theory.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230 ... tions.aspx

[Julie G]

Curious if their are any data that shows that HSV vaccines and other lower chance of Alzheimers not just in theory.

Great question. Although the answer may not be "popular" with some, there is evidence that multiple vaccines appear to reduce Alzheimer's risk. See several below:

Influenza vaccination- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35723106/
BCG (tuberculosis) vaccination- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10 ... 61956/full
Shingles vaccination- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35754275/

[rufus4me]

Thanks for this information Julie. I assume this is for the pneumonia vacc also , will be having the herpes one later. Anything specifically worrying about the adjuvants, I'm in the UK so will be asking for the data sheet.

[MarcR]

I completed my shingles vaccination and began annual flu shots in 2021 as a result of this evidence. I had forgotten about the BCG evidence, which seems like the most compelling of all.

Has anyone sought the BCG vaccine as a prophylactic measure against neuro degenerative disease? Was it difficult to get the vaccine? How was the experience?

[Quantifier]

I got the BCG vaccine many years ago, together with my classmates back in middle school. I remember we all had local swelling that lasted quite awhile (as in a couple of weeks), but no other side effects. When I went through the required health checks for immigrants to the US I (of course) tested positive for antibodies against tuberculosis (so it worked!) and had to undergo a chest X-ray to show that I did not in fact have an active tuberculosis infection. No idea how to get that vaccine now.

[MarcR]

Thanks for sharing your experience, Quantifier. The CDC's guidelines promise a challenge for US residents who want BCG:

BCG is not generally recommended for use in the United States because of the low risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the variable effectiveness of the vaccine against adult pulmonary TB, and the vaccine’s potential interference with tuberculin skin test reactivity. The BCG vaccine should be considered only for very select persons who meet specific criteria and in consultation with a TB expert.

I remain interested in hearing from any US resident who manages to receive this vaccine. Perhaps a vaccine tourism strategy would work? Are there nations in which visitors can receive vaccines?

A January 2023 Scientific American article summarizes the history, current global use, and promise of BCG; the growing interest in its off-target use; and the economic forces impeding that use. I suspect we are years away from easy availability in developed nations with low TB prevalence.

In the meantime, I'll continue obtaining every offered vaccine as a general strategy to lower my AD risk. After decades of eschewing vaccines as an unnecessary inconvenience (!), in the past two years I have acquired nine doses:

• COVID-19 mRNA (Pfizer)
• COVID-19 mRNA (Pfizer)
• ADACEL tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis
• Shingrix herpes zoster recombinant
• Shingrix herpes zoster recombinant
• Flulaval quadrivalent influenza
• COVID-19 mRNA (Moderna)
• COVID-19 mRNA bivalent (Pfizer)
• Flulaval quadrivalent influenza

After carefully reviewing CDC guidelines for adults, I think I'm otherwise current. In five years I'll be able to start getting pneumococcal vaccine doses.

I suppose I have the pandemic to thank for piquing my interest in vaccines and ultimately awakening me to the potential of immune system tuning as a dementia prophylaxis.