NPR (7/27, Hamilton) reports the findings from “two studies presented Monday at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference” suggest that “vaccines that protect against the flu and pneumonia may actually protect people from Alzheimer’s, too.” University of Texas researchers in the first study “combed through millions of medical records in a national database” and found that “people who got at least one flu shot had a 17% reduction in risk,” and those “who got regular vaccinations saw their risk drop another 13%.” The second study by Duke University and the University of North Carolina examined “the medical records of more than 5,000 people who were at least 65 years old,” and found people “who received a pneumonia vaccine before age 75 were at least 25% less likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.” CNN (7/27, Kane, Lamotte) reports experts “say more studies are needed to pin down the relationship between getting those vaccines and the reduced risk.” The article adds, “If getting vaccinated for flu or pneumonia, just on its own, can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, then these are important messages to get out to the public, Alzheimer’s Association chief science officer Maria Carrillo told CNN.” (SOURCE: APA Headlines)