Subject: Re: Big data: shingles vaccine lowers dementia risk
I am far from being an anti--vaxer. I keep track of them on my International Yellow Fever card. Off the top of my head, besides the usual kid's shots, smallpox, polio (including a recent booster before a trip to India), Hepatitis A & B, Tetanus, tuberculosis, and probably a few I've forgotten, I've also taken both varieties of shingles shots.

I've had a rather large number of COVID shots - I guess I could figure it out - but I took an extra one in 2022, so I'm guessing it's now up to nine or ten - all Moderna mRNA. Based on an antibody test around 2021, I had had one nearly asymptomatic bout. My wife's shots mimic mine exactly. One of the mRNA shots gave me sort of a day of flu-type feeling. We both caught COVID (along with the rest of a wedding party - including the brie and groom) about a year ago with both of us somewhat uncomfortable for about a day.

That said, vaccines are not universally effective. My wife's second Shingrix shot gave her symptoms which seemed like a mild case of shingles for about a day (she is also allergic to penicillin). I haven't had the flu since about high school (more or less). I have taken an annual flu shot "forever" yet had a relatively mild bout of the flu about a month or two ago.

Considering the broad traveling we do, I figure I want to be protected against the maximum spectrum of diseases we might run into.

Jeff