Can contracting measles compromise your immunity to other diseases? | Fact brief

Contracting measles can compromise your immunity to other diseases through a phenomenon known as “immune amnesia.”

Measles, a highly contagious respiratory illness spread by an airborne virus, can erase some of the immune system’s stored memory of past diseases. In other words, the body may “forget” how to fight infections it was previously protected against.

Research cited by the American Society for Microbiology and Harvard Medical School found that measles can reduce antibodies that protect against a wide range of pathogens for months or even years.

UCLA Health notes that the virus specifically targets immune memory cells, weakening defenses against unrelated illnesses, such as the flu or bacterial infections.

This well-documented effect of measles infection is one reason public health experts recommend vaccination to prevent measles and its downstream immune system damage.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported the state’s first measles cases since 2019, renewing attention to these risks.