Flu vaccination linked to 40% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s confirmed by larger, follow up study

Good news! This study actually confirms an earlier, more narrow study by the researchers two years earlier

The coming flu season is upon us. I got my flu shot just a few days ago to keep my immune system well trained. 

It is very important to take the shot every year, because we still can not predict exactly which virus strains will actually dominate in the next season.

"People who received at least one influenza vaccine were 40% less likely than non-vaccinated people to develop Alzheimer’s disease over the course of the four years examined, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston. ...
The study came after a link between the flu vaccine and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease was discovered by UTHealth Houston researchers two years prior. This research is a significant step up, having analyzed a much larger sample than the previous research, including 935,887 flu-vaccinated patients and 935,887 non-vaccinated patients. ..."

"Concluding remarks

This study found that, through an uncertain mechanism, influenza vaccination was associated with a 40% decrease in the 4-year risk of developing AD in patients 65 years or older. ..."

From the abstract:

"Background:

Prior studies have found a reduced risk of dementia of any etiology following influenza vaccination in selected populations, including veterans and patients with serious chronic health conditions. ...

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that influenza vaccination is associated with reduced AD risk in a nationwide sample of US adults aged 65 and older."

Flu vaccination linked to 40% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s - study - The Jerusalem Post

Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease Following Influenza Vaccination: A Claims-Based Cohort Study Using Propensity Score Matching (open access)