The measles disease is bad and can be fatal. Now researchers are showing that the measles virus still has a dangerous side effect. But there is protection.
The fact that measles is a dangerous disease that can even be fatal if it is severe is not new. But now researchers at the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) in Langen, together with scientists from Great Britain, have found that measles viruses are not to be trifled with for other reasons.
In a study conducted in the UK, the researchers demonstrated that ten to 15 percent of the children who participated in the study showed signs of a significant impairment of the immune system five years after a measles infection. This led to an increased incidence of secondary infections. It has long been known that measles infection weakens the immune system. This is why measles patients often develop other infections, such as bacterial pneumonia or otitis media.
Measles viruses affect B memory cells
However, scientists from Germany, Great Britain and the Netherlands have now jointly investigated which mechanisms lead to this immunosuppression. To do this, they analyzed the development of B memory cells, an important group of immune cells for immune memory, in various groups of people:
- in unvaccinated people with a previous measles infection
- in unvaccinated people without previous measles infection and
- in people who are vaccinated against measles.
The researchers found that the genetic composition and diversity of the B memory cells was stable in people without measles infection and in vaccinated people. The researchers found a significant increase in the mutation frequency of the cells only in people who had already had a measles infection. In around ten percent of the people who were infected with measles *, the diversity of the immune cells was even very severely impaired.
Measles triggers an “immune amnesia”
According to the researchers, this confirms that after a measles infection, the immune system “virtually forgets which pathogens it had come into contact with,” says a message from the Paul Ehrlich Institute. There is an "immune amnesia". The journal Science Immunology reports on the research results.
"The measles vaccination is not only important for the protection against measles viruses, but also protects against the occurrence or severe course of other infectious diseases," emphasizes the President of the Paul Ehrlich Institute, Professor Klaus Cichutek. "The measles vaccination protects the immune memory, which can be severely impaired with measles infections."
Vaccination against measles is the most effective method against the disease
Vaccination against measles is the most effective method against the disease, according to research. This reduced the number of measles deaths by around 79 percent between 2000 and 2015. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends the first measles vaccination for infants from the age of 11 months, the second vaccination should follow by the second birthday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) actually has the plan to eradicate measles by 2020. But for some time now the situation has been worrying the experts again: fewer people have been vaccinated, local measles outbreaks have occurred * and the number of people opposed to vaccination seems to be increasing. Almost three times more cases were reported in the first half of 2019 than in the same period of the previous year.
Everything you need to know about measles
Measles vaccination should help in Germany
According to the Federal Ministry of Health, less than 95 percent of the population in Germany is vaccinated. However, you need a vaccination rate of 95 percent, so that the disease can no longer spread, experts say. In Germany, vaccination will help in the future.
WHO has included “avoiding or delaying vaccination” on the list of global health threats some time ago. Opponents of vaccination are now on a list of threatening diseases such as HIV, dengue fever and Ebola.
Measles: This is how vaccinations work
By Tanja Banner
* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital central editorial office.
In the district of Göttingen alone, there were 5 cases of measles in 2019. The vaccination rate is too low.
