Why Does Your Immune System Not Like Measles?

Measles is an extremely contagious virus that is spread through sneezing and coughing. It stays in the air and on the surface for two hours. Why is measles so dangerous? The reason is in its unique feature of erasing the "immune memory". Measles destroy up to 50 percent of preexisting antibodies (proteins in the immune system that neutralize an infection) to other diseases, such as viruses and bacteria. It replaces old cells with memories with specific infections with new, measles-specific cells. This process is called "immune amnesia". Thus, people who have or had measles get the cells that are resistant to this disease and vulnerable to others. After the effects of measles on the human body, our immune system has to "relearn" how to produce the antibodies again by exposing them to some pathogens (organisms that cause a particular disease).

The only way to prevent measles is vaccination. People are usually vaccinated from measles when they are kids, usually 4-6 years old. However, adults might be at risk, too, if their immune system is weakened due to organ transplantation, HIV virus, or chemotherapy. They might also be at risk if they were not vaccinated in their childhood.

The process of regaining antibodies after measles is long, difficult and sometimes, even dangerous. That is why getting a measles vaccine is vital for you and people around you in order to prevent its scary effects on your immune system!