Study shows measles vaccine thwarts other infectious diseases

The measles vaccine provides benefits beyond merely protecting against that highly contagious viral respiratory disease that remains a leading childhood killer in parts of the world, scientists say. By blocking the measles infection, the vaccine prevents measles-induced immune system damage that makes children much more vulnerable to numerous other infectious diseases for two to three years, a study published on Thursday found. The research focused on a phenomenon called "immune amnesia" in which the measles infection destroys cells in the immune system, the body's natural defense against disease-causing microbes, that "remember" how to fend off previously encountered pathogens.