London - Children who are not vaccinated against measles could be at greater risk of other infectious diseases, according to a study in the journal Science.
Researchers from New Jersey’s Princeton University studied medical records from people in England, Wales, the US and Denmark who developed measles but died from other infectious diseases in the years before and after vaccination was introduced.
They found that, in the years before vaccination, around 50 percent of children who died from any infectious disease had previously contracted measles.
The scientists suggest that being infected with measles brings on “immune amnesia”, where the body’s natural defence system is reduced, making it vulnerable to infectious diseases for up to three years.
Daily Mail