This vaccine could reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, it is already recommended in France
Heart attacks, strokes, heart failure... These cardiovascular diseases represent the second leading cause of death in France, and even the leading cause among women. Yet this scourge is partly preventable, particularly with a healthy lifestyle. A vaccine already in use in France could also have a considerable impact.
This is the shingles vaccine. This disease, caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, is responsible for the hospitalization of several thousand people each year in France. Shingles is characterized by a skin rash and can also lead to serious complications, such as chronic pain, neurological disorders, or bacterial infections. Fragile people are particularly at risk. This is why the shingles vaccine is recommended for those over 65 and immunocompromised adults.
But shingles can also cause heart problems, a risk that the vaccine could prevent. A study conducted in South Korea "suggests that the shingles vaccine may help reduce the risk of heart disease, even in people without known risk factors," explained Professor Dong Keon Yon, lead researcher of the study published on May 5, 2025, in the European Heart Journal .
To reach this conclusion, Professor Yon and his team monitored the health of more than 1,200,000 people aged 50 and older living in South Korea. Those who were vaccinated had a 26% reduced risk of serious cardiovascular events such as stroke or heart attack, compared to those who were not vaccinated. The vaccine also reduced the risk of heart failure by 26% and coronary artery disease by 22%. These protective effects were particularly significant during the two to three years after vaccination and lasted up to eight years.
Further studies, on different populations and with the recombinant vaccine—the one used in France—must be conducted to confirm this effect. Beyond shingles and cardiovascular disease, several recent studies—one published in April 2025 in the renowned journal Nature and the other in 2024 in Nature Medicine — have also suggested that this vaccine could significantly reduce the risk of dementia in the years following vaccination.
L'Internaute
