Long-term damage from measles much worse than originally thought

As measles continues its comeback from near-eradication, new research suggests the ailment can affect children for far longer than it infects them.

A new study conducted at Princeton University says children who contract the disease may have their immune systems weakened and compromised for three years – or even longer.

“It is very likely the measles cases that are happening now are putting children at risk for all other infectious diseases,” warns Princeton researcher Michael Mina, a co-author of the report.

“Measles has a tremendous ability to get into the body and kill off the memory of the immune cells, which protect us from diseases that we have already seen,” he explained. “By destroying that memory, you are essentially putting children at risk for infections they should already be immune to.”

That flu your little one had a year ago, before catching the measles? The protective immunity that was naturally forged to fight it may be gone.

Mina calls this “immune amnesia,” and says it’s more proof that measles is not as benign a childhood infection as parents often assume.

“If your child gets measles, and then gets very sick two years later, a physician would never say this is because of your measles two years ago,” Mina said. “But our study – using a large data base – suggests that that does happen.”

Mina added that, back in the days when almost every child caught measles, the overwhelming majority recovered. But enough didn’t that measles became the number-one killer of children until a vaccine was developed that all but wiped it out.

“Nothing has changed biologically,” Mina said. “Our study suggest measles is more dangerous than anyone has recognized.”

Not surprisingly, Mina is an impassioned advocate for childhood vaccination.

“There is no reason not to vaccinate your children,” he said.

“There is so much confusion and misinformation out there. There are people who believe that I work for the government, or that people who put out research studies are getting paid. I’m just a lowly post-doctorate researcher who is just interested in a question.”

“The data is so overwhelmingly positive for vaccination,” he continued. “Any way you slice that pie, it shows that it’s among the best, best things that we could ever have done to reduce childhood deaths from disease.

“I hope that this study adds one more layer of evidence to really show the importance of vaccination.”