Measles: Experts advise on long-term effects, immune amnesia

Evan Walker
Evan Walker TheMediTary.Com |
A pack showcasing 10 single dose vials of the mumps, measles, and rubella vaccineShare on Pinterest
Boxes and vials of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Virus Vaccine at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025 in Lubbock, Texas.
Image credit: Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images
  • Although measles is seen as a contagious viral disease that passes quickly, it can also cause damage that leaves long-term health effects.
  • A measles infection can lead to a phenomenon called ‘immune amnesia,’ which affects the body’s ability to fight off other infections.
  • It also may lead to neurological, respiratory, and fertility-related issues.

As the initial measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico has grown and spread to 378 people in 18 states, many people, and especially parents have been worried about the long-term health effects of measles infection.

Measles is seen as relatively short-lived viral disease, although the acute symptoms can take around 7–18 days to show.

What’s more is that this highly contagious disease can also have significant long-term health consequences, namely neurological, respiratory, and immune system-related complications.

Medical News Today spoke to two experts — Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, an infectious disease specialist with the University of California, San Francisco, and David Cutler, MD, board-certified family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA — about complications related to a measles infection and how it impacts overall Health.

The immune system takes a hit after a measles infection, leading to multiple changes in how the body’s defenses respond to other viral, bacterial, or fungal infections.

One change that can happen after a measles infection is a phenomenon called “immune amnesia.” As the name implies, it is essentially the immune system’s memory of how to fight previous pathogens being erased.

This effect may last up to a few years, long after the acute phase of the disease has passed and the person has recovered.

Cutler explained immune amnesia as:

“This refers to the process where the measles virus actually replaces the old memory cells of its host with new, measle virus-specific immune cells (lymphocytes). As a result, the patient emerges with both a strong measle virus-specific immunity and an increased vulnerability to all other pathogens. This makes the measles patient very vulnerable to other infections, especially other germs causing pneumonia.”

Gandhi also noted that “immune amnesia is when the measles virus can temporarily destroy immune cells (T and B cells) you have developed to other infections (or vaccines), making it more difficult for you to fight off a pathogen that you had previously seen.”

She added that “immune amnesia can lead to enhanced susceptibility to other infections up to 2–3 years after an active measles infection; the immune memory to other pathogens is eventually restored.”

Gandhi said that during the period of immune amnesia induced by a measles infections, people’s susceptibility to other infections heightens and this may increase their risk of mortality from other diseases.

Prior to measles vaccination becoming widespread, this infection resulted in millions of childhood deaths each year, according to historical data from the World Health Organization (WHO).

About 90% of susceptible people will acquire the infection by simply being in the same room as a measles patient. In addition, the virus will linger in the air for hours after the measles patient has left the room,” he said.

The only proven method of protection against measles is the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, which is administered in two doses. According to the CDC, this is approximately 97% effective at preventing this disease.

It is also important to note that getting vaccinated also aids herd immunity, therefore protecting members of the community that may be more vulnerable to infections and complications due to age or medical conditions.

“[W]hile the most recent numbers may seem small, the very existence of measles cases is a great disappointment as this is a vaccine-preventable disease,” Cutler said.

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