A UTHealth Houston study of nearly 200,000 adults ages 65 and older found high-dose flu vaccination associated with a nearly 55% lower Alzheimer's risk, compared with a 40% reduction for standard-dose vaccination.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
A study led by researchers at UTHealth Houston found that adults ages 65 and older who received a high-dose influenza vaccine had a nearly 55% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared with those who received the standard-dose vaccine. The findings were published in the medical journal Neurology.
The research team analyzed data from nearly 200,000 men and women ages 65 and older. The researchers reported that standard-dose influenza vaccination was associated with a 40% reduction in Alzheimer's risk, while high-dose vaccination was linked to a reduction of nearly 55%. The association was particularly pronounced among women, who appeared to experience a greater reduction in Alzheimer's risk with the stronger vaccine.
The study builds on a 2022 investigation led by Paul Schulz, MD, which found that flu vaccination was associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's among adults 65 and older. Schulz is a professor of neurology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and director of the Neurocognitive Disorders Center at UTHealth Houston Neurosciences.
The idea for the new research came from local public health officials who had seen the team's earlier findings and asked whether different vaccine dosages might be associated with different levels of Alzheimer's risk.
"The public health department had seen our vaccine research and asked if I could come down to talk to them about it," said Schulz, who is the senior author of the study and the Rick McCord Professor in Neurology and Umphrey Family Professor in Neurodegenerative Diseases at McGovern Medical School. "We went through the findings, and they asked if there was a difference with different dosages; I was confused."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends high-dose influenza vaccines as a preferred option for adults ages 65 and older. These vaccines contain four times as much influenza antigen as standard-dose shots. Antigens are the components of a vaccine that stimulate the immune system to recognize and defend against a virus.
The higher dose is designed to produce a stronger immune response in older adults, whose immune systems may respond less effectively to conventional vaccines.
Schulz said he was unaware that a higher-dose formulation was available.
"I was stunned that, as a physician, I didn't know a higher dose was offered," Schulz said.
The findings demonstrate an association rather than establishing cause and effect. Additional research is needed to determine whether high-dose flu vaccination directly reduces the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's and to understand the mechanisms that might explain the connection.
Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia. In 2025, more than 7 million Americans ages 65 and older were living with the disease, representing approximately 1 in 9 people in that age group. That figure is projected to more than double by 2050.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
The day's checked news, by email
One short email a day with the top stories. Free, and you can unsubscribe in one click.
Or follow for the latest news:
No comments yet. Start the discussion.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has recalled T&T brand Organic Roasted Black Soybeans sold in four provinces because the product may contain milk that is not declared on the label.
A Cambridge University study found an mRNA therapy reactivated heart muscle cells in mice, improving heart function by around 10 percent after a heart attack.