Vaccine Immune Amnesia

About Vaccine Immune Amnesia

Measles causes immune amnesia, erasing existing immune memory. A 2019 Science study by Michael Mina and colleagues found that measles infection eliminated 11 to 73 percent of the antibody repertoire in the children studied, building on a 2015 study linking measles to increased deaths from other infections. This means that children who recover from measles are vulnerable to other infections they were previously immune to. Research suggests the effects can last for two to three years. This explains the long term increased mortality following measles infection. The immune amnesia discovery strengthened the case for measles vaccination. The MMR vaccine prevents measles and preserves existing immunity. The finding also explains why measles vaccination reduces childhood mortality more than would be expected from preventing measles alone. Measles vaccination is among the most cost effective public health interventions. The immune amnesia research illustrates how pathogens can cause subtle harm beyond the obvious acute illness.