Measles can weaken the immune system for years, two new studies published Oct. 31 find, confirming preliminary studies about the virus' ability to erase the body's memory on how to fight off infections, according to The New York Times.
Measles kills cells that make antibodies and are crucial for fighting infections, according to Michael Mina, PhD, MD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston and clinical fellow at Boston-based Brigham and Women's Hospital. Dr. Mina has dedicated his research to the "immune amnesia" hypothesis and is the lead author of one of the new studies, published in Science.
The second study, published in Science Immunology and led by Dr. Velislava N. Petrova of Britain's Wellcome Sanger Institute, confirms the theory.
Both studies analyzed blood samples from 77 unvaccinated Orthodox Protestant students in the Netherlands. Researchers found that measles erased 11 percent to 73 percent of a child's antibodies against several viruses and bacteria, according to the Science report. The severest cases of measles were associated with the biggest depletion in antibodies.
B-cells, involved in the creation of antibodies, were also depleted, leaving the immune system in an immature state, according to the Science Immunology report.
Researchers say the measles vaccination can protect children against sicknesses like the flu or pneumonia. However, researchers recommend revaccination after contracting measles, since the virus can wipe out protection from previous vaccines.