ADDITIONAL RESEARCH REQUIRED TO DETERMINE SHINGLES VACCINE'S EFFECT ON DEMENTIA RISK

NOTICE PAPER NO. 335
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 14 JANUARY 2026

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Kenneth Tiong Boon Kiat
MP for Aljunied GRC

Question No. 1016
To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health given findings that shingles vaccination reduces dementia, including the May 2025 Nature study showing Zostavax causally reduces diagnoses by 20% and the July 2024 Nature Medicine study showing Shingrix is associated with 164 added dementia-free days, whether the Ministry will (i) include dementia prevention savings into cost-benefit analyses for shingles vaccines and (ii) consider extending shingles vaccine subsidies to persons aged 50-59.

Answer

1        The two cited studies are based on observational data that suggest a potential association between shingles vaccination and reduced risk of dementia. Additional research is required to establish causality and the underlying biological mechanisms, to determine the vaccine's effect on dementia risk. MOH will continue to monitor the emergence of such scientific evidence.  In the meantime, we will maintain the age criterion for Shingles vaccination subsidies, on the basis that the incidence of shingles rises steeply after age 60, approximately three to four times that of individuals aged 50 to 59 years.