Dive Brief:
- New research shows that by blocking the measles infection, measles vaccines can protect children from other infectious diseases for up to three years.
- Immune amnesia occurs when the measles virus destroys immune cells, thereby rendering a child more vulnerable to other types of viral infections.
- This study is important in light of the burgeoning anti-vaccination trend in the U.S. Although measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, there were 686 cases of measles last year stemming from unvaccinated children.
Dive Insight:
Researchers have hypothesized that before the introduction of the measles vaccine in developed countries, up to 50% of childhood deaths were most likely attributable to childhood infectious diseases, such as pneumonia, sepsis, bronchitis, and diarrheal diseases.
According to the new study, the period of immune-related vulnerability lasts up to 28 months after a child has measles.