Scientists Crack A 50-Year-Old Mystery About The Measles Vaccine

[HuckleB]

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/05/07/404963436/scientists-crack-a-50-year-old-mystery-about-the-measles-vaccine

"Back in the 1960s, the U.S. started vaccinating kids for measles. As expected, children stopped getting measles.

...

Childhood deaths from all infectious diseases plummeted. Even deaths from diseases like pneumonia and diarrhea were cut by half.

Writer Roald Dahl and his wife, actress Patricia Neal, with two of their children, Theo and Chantel Sophia "Tessa." The photo was taken a few years after oldest daughter, Olivia, died of measles.

Scientists saw the same phenomenon when the vaccine came to England and parts of Europe. And they see it today when developing countries introduce the vaccine.

..."

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Yeah, it's from last May, but it's still a good read.

[MBS]

1. Wow, this is really interesting.

I missed this story the first time around, so thanks for posting now!

[progressoid]

2. A good read indeed.

Sadly, the comments section is polluted with nutters.

[HuckleB]

8. Yeah, it never fails.

[Igel]

3. Saw this story then.

It was posted here. I think.

It was a nifty hypothesis, still is, but a quick Googling doesn't show up any more recent research or findings. Have you heard of any? (If so, PM.)

[HuckleB]

4. Not yet, but it's less than a year old. Follow up studies take time.

[phantom power]

5. "measles predisposes children to all other infectious diseases for up to a few years"

[Lochloosa]

6. That might expain why my Grandmother had the mumps three times

[Thor_MN]

7. I wonder if this could help with Autoimmune diseases and Allergies.

If it was understood how measles wipes out immune "memory", it might be possible to target unwanted immune responses.