Measles Vaccine: More Than Just Protection Against Measles
Measles is a serious disease that can lead to blindness, pneumonia, severe diarrhoea, and even death, especially in children. The good news is that we have a safe and effective defence against it – the measles vaccine. In fact, measles vaccines are estimated to have prevented over 60 million deaths between 2000 and 2023.
Despite the success of measles vaccines, the number of measles cases is on the rise in the UK and worldwide. This increase is attributed to various factors, including vaccine hesitancy and missed immunisation campaigns, leaving many children vulnerable to the disease.
Research now suggests that the measles vaccine may offer additional health benefits beyond protection against measles itself. Children who receive the vaccine have been found to have a lower risk of infections from other diseases unrelated to measles.
Understanding Measles Amnesia
One theory for this broader benefit is “measles amnesia,” which refers to the measles virus’s ability to erase parts of the body’s immune memory. The immune system contains cells that protect against infections, and measles infection may reduce the number and diversity of these memory cells, leaving children susceptible to a wide range of diseases they were previously immune to.
Studies have shown that unvaccinated children who have had a measles infection may lose between 11% and 73% of antibodies targeting other diseases. In contrast, vaccinated children do not experience this immune depletion, indicating that the vaccine protects against this damaging effect.
The Non-Specific Effect of the Measles Vaccine
Another theory for the vaccine’s broader benefit is the “non-specific effect,” which suggests that the measles vaccine actively strengthens the immune system against a variety of pathogens. Recent research has demonstrated that measles vaccination can enhance the function of certain immune cells, making them more effective at fighting off other diseases.
The measles vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine, meaning it uses a weakened form of the virus to trigger a strong immune response. Live vaccines like the measles vaccine are known to provide broad immune training effects, which may explain the non-specific protection it offers.
Don’t Forget the Dangers of Measles
In the past, measles caused millions of deaths each year before widespread vaccination. However, as measles became less common, society began to forget how serious and contagious the disease is. This lack of awareness has led to misinformation, myths, and anti-vaccine sentiments spreading.
Whether the additional protection offered by the measles vaccine is due to preventing immune amnesia, a non-specific immune boost, or both, the key message remains the same – vaccinate children against measles. By protecting them from measles, we may also be safeguarding them against a range of other diseases.
Antony Black, Lecturer, Life Sciences, University of Westminster
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.
