So, it turns out there’s a side benefit afforded us by the misguided folks (trust me, I have far more delectable terms to deal with these truants) who prevent the protection of the world.  By not letting their kids (and themselves?) get vaccinated.

First- what did we know about measles?  Those succumbing to measles (with a 10 day or so incubation period), an airborne disease,  develop high fevers, coughing spasms, runny noses, and inflamed eyes.  Of course, the telltale red rash on our faces and the rest of our bodies. Some folks develop white spots (Koplik’s spots) inside their mouths.

Secondary afflictions like diarrhea, middle-ear infections and pneumonia abound among a significant minority of infectees.  All because we knew that measles suppresses our immune system temporarily.

What benefit you might ask?  Well, now that so many folks have contracted measles- a disease nearly eradicated from the human race, we can now use our updated science and analytical systems to discern what really happens when folks contract measles.

It turns out that temporary immunosuppression is a lot less temporary and a lot broader than we feared.

The first study, led by Drs. V. N. Petrova (Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK) and C. A. Russell (University of Amsterdam) [with 12 additional co-authors] has been published in Science Immunology.   The study determined that the “institutional memory” of our B cells is total disrupted.  [Consider this a case of amnesia.]  The B cells (aka B lymphocytes) are one of two types of lymphocytes in our bodies; the other is T cells.  The job of B cells is to serve as our adaptive immune system, marshaling the production of antibodies in our bodies.

The basis of this study was to use a receptor for B cells, both before and after MeV (the measles infection) infection.  The researchers found two consequences of immunosuppression in the 26 kids studied.  The B cells failed to develop immunological maturity (recognize other disease states that attack the body).  But, more importantly, was the loss of immune memory (what the B cells have  already learned from interactions with other diseases), which means rapid and effective responses to other challenges to our health is virtually non-existent.  (This also affects herd immunity.)  Those latter results were so strong as to mimic the effect on the body from the administration of immunosuppressive drugs.

The other study, reported in Science, headed by Drs. Stephen Elledge and Michael Mina (both from Peter Bent Brigham Hospital/Harvard Med) [along with 13 other authors] employed VirScan, a sophisticated assay, to track antibody production in 77 unvaccinated kids before and 2 months after succumbing to the measles infection.  From ¹/₅ (20%) to almost ¾ (73%) of the children’s antibody repertoire was lost after measles exposure.

Both teams undertook these studies to substantiate our scientific hypothesis that measles suppresses immunity and because some 50% of all children deaths were related to measles infections. Dr. Petrova reported that between 1/10 and 1/7 of children manifested immunosuppression five (5) years after a measles infection, which afforded manifold secondary infections.) That means even if a child survives the measles infection, that child is extremely likely to contact other virulent diseases in the medium term.

Oh, yeah.   For you antivaxxers.  The MMR vaccine is not only safe, it doesn’t interfere with our immune system memories.           \

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