Getting the shingles vaccine could do more than just prevent a painful red rash — it may also lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a new South Korean study of more than one million people published in the European Heart Journal.
The highly common herpes strain, also called varicella-zoster virus (VZV), can cause chickenpox in childhood and later develop into shingles in older or immuno-compromised adults. The shingles vaccine is already considered a top-line defence against the virus, but recent studies have pointed to other unexpected health benefits.