Measles Vaccine Has Benefit Beyond Measles
KYW's Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross
By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - When the measles vaccine was introduced 50 years ago, child death rates dropped significantly. Certainly that helps justify the importance of the vaccine but, according to a new study in Science, there may be another advantage - surviving measles makes a person more susceptible to other infections. And, the effect lasts for two to three years.
Researchers from the US, England, Wales and Denmark looked at childhood deaths from measles and other infections before and after the measles vaccine was introduced and what they found is the measles vaccine prevented not only measles cases, but other infections as well, including pneumonia, bronchitis, and meningitis.
They learned that the measles virus has a unique effect on the immune system: it destroys what is known as immune memory. That is, some immune cells can "remember" diseases that the body has fought off before. So when you encounter that bug again, your immune system reacts faster or has a bigger response.
Having measles causes amnesia of sorts for the immune system and it can last up to three years. The vaccine protects against that.