Measles is NEVER (ever!) Beneficial

How Social Media Myths Ignore Decades of Scientific Evidence

In recent weeks, social media has been flooded with posts claiming that getting measles naturally provides "notable long-term health benefits" and may even help prevent cancer and other diseases. (Yes, really— but no, we won’t share those posts here nor amplify this poisonous misinformation). These claims, backed by cherry-picked quotes and misrepresented and entirely distorted research, could not be further from the truth. As infectious disease experts and public health professionals watch these dangerous myths circulate, we feel compelled to set the record straight with actual scientific evidence. The reality is that measles is one of the most severe and consequential childhood infections, with impacts that can last years after the initial illness and even prove fatal. And beyond the potential for death, measles can cause devastating complications including permanent brain damage, hearing loss, vision problems, and a weakened immune system that leaves children vulnerable to other serious infections. The virus can also lead to SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis) - a rare but fatal neurological disease that can develop years after infection. (More on this soon.)

We collaborated with immunologist Dr. Liz Marnik to address this issue, with additional expert insights from Dr. Aimee Pugh Bernard, our Unbiased Science team's immunology specialist. Let’s discuss…

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The Real Impact of Measles on the Immune System

Far from providing health benefits, measles inflicts serious damage to the immune system that extends far beyond the acute infection period. Groundbreaking research published in Science has demonstrated that measles creates a form of "immune amnesia" that can last 2-3 years after infection. During this period, the immune system essentially forgets its previous defenses against other pathogens, leaving people vulnerable to a wide range of other infectious diseases.

This immune suppression occurs because the measles virus specifically targets and depletes memory B and T cells - the very cells that maintain long-term immunity against diseases we've previously encountered. When these memory cells are destroyed, the immune system must rebuild its defensive knowledge from scratch. This rebuilding process can take years, during which time the person is at increased risk from normally manageable infections.

The evidence for this extended period of immune suppression is compelling. Population studies from the UK, US, and Denmark show that mortality from other infectious diseases remains elevated for 2-3 years following measles outbreaks. In fact, before widespread vaccination, measles infections could be linked to up to half of all childhood deaths from infectious diseases during these post-infection periods. After introducing the measles vaccine, countries observed a drop in childhood mortality that exceeded what would be expected from preventing measles deaths alone. We now know this is due to preventing the immune amnesia and subsequent deaths from other infectious diseases post-measles. Thank you, vaccines.

Baseless (and Dangerous) Cancer Claims

One of the most egregious claims circulating is that measles infection can help prevent or cure cancer. This dangerous misrepresentation stems primarily from a handful of case reports from the early 1970s that documented temporary cancer remissions in a few patients following measles infection. What the social media posts conveniently omit is that these remissions were temporary - in one cited case, the patient's leukemia returned after just one month and progressed rapidly until death.

These isolated historical cases have been taken wildly out of context. While it's true that modified measles viruses are being studied as potential oncolytic (cancer-fighting) therapies, these are heavily engineered versions using the weakened vaccine strain, not the wild-type virus that causes natural infections. The research specifically uses the measles vaccine strain because it can be modified to target cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue - something the natural virus cannot do.

The Long-Term Fatal Threat: SSPE

Perhaps the most chilling aspect of measles that these social media claims ignore is subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) - a rare but almost universally fatal complication that can occur 7-10 years after the initial infection. SSPE causes progressive inflammation of the brain, leading to cognitive decline, seizures, and eventually death. Studies estimate that SSPE occurs in 4-11 per 100,000 measles cases, with higher rates in children infected before age 2.

Immunity: Natural Infection vs. Vaccination

The social media posts also fundamentally misrepresent how immunity develops. While both natural infection and vaccination can produce immunity to measles, the vaccine accomplishes this without the devastating impact on the broader immune system. The measles vaccine generates strong, specific immunity without depleting existing immune memory cells or causing extended immunosuppression.

This is why vaccination has had such a profound impact on overall childhood mortality. When measles vaccination was introduced, childhood deaths from all infectious diseases - not just measles - dropped by 30-50% in resource-poor countries and up to 90% in the most impoverished populations. These dramatic reductions cannot be explained by prevention of measles alone but reflect the vaccine's role in preserving healthy immune function.

The Sources Matter: Examining the Evidence

Many of the claims circulating cite work by Neil Z. Miller, an anti-vaccine activist with no scientific or medical training who has repeatedly spread misinformation about vaccines. The "studies" referenced often come from questionable journals, including one that has published papers denying that HIV causes AIDS. In contrast, the evidence for measles dangers and vaccine benefits comes from robust, peer-reviewed research published in leading medical journals and supported by major scientific institutions worldwide.

Allergy and Atopy Claims

Another common claim is that measles infection somehow protects against allergies and atopic diseases. However, large cohort studies have found no consistent effect of either measles infection or vaccination on allergic disease development. These claims appear to be based on selective reading of limited data while ignoring larger, more rigorous studies that show no protective effect.

Conclusion: No measles parties, please.

The spread of misinformation claiming measles infection is beneficial represents a dangerous regression in public health understanding. Before vaccination, measles killed millions of children worldwide and was a major driver of childhood mortality through both direct infection and induced immune amnesia. The development of safe, effective measles vaccination stands as one of medicine's greatest achievements, preventing an estimated 23.2 million deaths between 2000 and 2018 alone.

The evidence is clear: measles is a serious disease with potentially fatal acute and long-term complications. It damages the immune system in ways we are only now fully understanding, leaving people vulnerable to other infections for years after recovery. Anyone claiming measles infection provides health benefits is either profoundly misinformed or deliberately misrepresenting the science. In an era where vaccines have made measles preventable, choosing to risk natural infection is not just unnecessary - it's reckless. The only beneficial approach to measles is preventing it through vaccination.

P.S. An important reminder that while vitamin A can play a supportive role in treating measles, it is absolutely not a substitute for vaccination. This distinction is critical, as some have dangerously misinterpreted studies about vitamin A's benefits during measles infection. When properly dosed in infected patients, vitamin A treatment can help reduce the severity of complications and improve survival rates - but this only comes into play after someone has already contracted this highly contagious virus.

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What makes the MMR vaccine so remarkable is that it prevents infection in the first place, with over 97% effectiveness. Think of it this way - would you rather have protection against getting measles at all, or risk contracting a dangerous disease that could require hospitalization and then hope treatment helps reduce complications? Bottomline: reventing measles through vaccination is far safer than relying on treatments after infection occurs. Full stop.

Stay Curious,

Unbiased Science (and Science Whiz Liz!)

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