“The measles virus resets immune cells so they only recognize the measles virus,” says Catherine Troisi, PhD, a professor of management, policy, and community health and epidemiology at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Texas. This leaves a person unprotected against other infections in the aftermath, she notes.
Experts Worry About a Rise in Flu, Diphtheria, and Tuberculosis
Over the years that doctors have been treating measles, they noticed that children who had the disease seemed more likely to get sick with other illnesses, says Aaron Milstone, MD, a professor of pediatric infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore.
Immune amnesia makes the current outbreak all the more troubling, as the rise in measles cases may lead to a spike of other dangerous infections such as flu, diphtheria, and tuberculosis.
Immunity Can Dip Even for Those Immunized for Flu and Other Pathogens
Vaccines can help our immune systems by building long-lasting memory against specific pathogens (the agents that cause disease).
Still, people who have been vaccinated for flu, mumps, and other viruses may find that getting sick with measles weakens their immune defenses.
Based on these results, the researchers concluded that measles could reverse the effects of vaccination against other infectious diseases.
“Measles seems to knock out naturally induced immunity as well as vaccine-induced immunity,” says Dr. Troisi. “But it’s also important to stress that the measles vaccine itself will not cause immune amnesia — it will prevent this from happening.”
How to Strengthen the Immune System
People who get measles may also benefit from immunization or re-immunization against common viruses, as well as booster shots of routine vaccines, such as hepatitis and polio.
“If you’ve had measles, I would certainly talk to your healthcare provider about getting revaccinated or vaccinated for preventable diseases other than measles,” says Troisi.
Milstone warns, however, that vaccines do not exist to protect against some viruses, such as norovirus.
- A nutritious diet
- Regular exercise
- A healthy weight
- Sufficient sleep
The Best Way to Avoid Immune Amnesia
Milstone emphasizes that the number-one way to avoid immune amnesia is to get the measles shot or vaccinate your kids if they haven’t been immunized already.
“Measles is spreading in the United States, so the chance of being exposed to measles is higher now than it’s been in a while,” he says. “But the dangers and complications, including immune amnesia, are all avoidable through vaccination.”
Read the full article here
