A recent measles outbreak in West Texas has raised concerns about the virus’s impact on immune health, especially following the death of a 6-year-old girl from complications related to the disease.
The girl, who was unvaccinated, passed away at a Lubbock hospital on February 25, three weeks after contracting measles. Her father stated that she died from pneumonia, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists as a leading cause of death in children who contract measles. Her death marks the first fatality in the ongoing outbreak, which, as of early March, has resulted in 279 confirmed cases, with 36 hospitalizations.
According to recent reporting from San Antonio Express-News, the child’s parents, members of a Mennonite community in Seminole, Texas, have expressed opposition to vaccination and argued that contracting measles could strengthen the immune system in the long run. In an interview with Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group, they explained their belief that measles may help prevent other diseases, including cancer. However, this view contradicts medical consensus, as there is no evidence to support the claim that measles can prevent cancer.
New research has revealed concerning consequences of measles beyond its immediate effects. Measles has been found to cause “immune amnesia,” a phenomenon in which the virus damages the immune system by erasing memory of past infections. This loss of immune memory can leave individuals more susceptible to secondary infections, such as pneumonia and diarrheal diseases, which are more likely to occur after the body loses its ability to fight off previously overcome illnesses.
A 2013 study led by Michael Mina of Princeton University, along with research conducted during an outbreak in the Netherlands, found that measles could destroy between 11% and 73% of children’s antibodies. Research on macaques showed that animals lost between 40% and 60% of their immune memory following infection. This data suggests that the measles virus specifically targets and destroys memory B and T cells, which are responsible for remembering and defending against past pathogens.
While immune amnesia typically recovers within two to three years, this period can significantly increase the risk of secondary infections. Public health officials emphasize that vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles and its long-term consequences. The measles vaccine provides 93% protection with a single dose, and up to 97% protection with two doses.
Despite the proven effectiveness of vaccines, vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation has led to outbreaks in communities with lower vaccination rates, as seen in West Texas. The parents of the 6-year-old girl who passed away also said in their interview with Children’s Health Defense that their four other children contracted measles too, and they recovered with the help of Ben Edwards, a Lubbock physician who has been distributing cod liver oil and inhaled steroids as treatment for the virus.
In response to the outbreak, Tina Siemens, a local historian in Seminole, Texas, has also been helping a holistic medicine clinic, Veritas Wellness, distribute unproven remedies like Vitamin C, cod liver oil, and inhaled steroids to affected families. The clinic has gained attention for promoting alternative treatments that lack scientific backing, and an online fundraiser has collected donations for these treatments, which are being distributed with the support of the anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, previously led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
While Kennedy wrote an op-ed endorsing vaccines in a Fox News article, claiming they protect both individuals and communities, he also supported alternative treatments for measles in a recent interview, stating that steroids, antibiotics, and cod liver oil have produced good results, according to NBC News. However, there is no credible evidence that cod liver oil can treat or prevent measles.
Public health experts stress that the most reliable way to protect children and communities from measles and its potential long-term effects, including immune amnesia, is through vaccination.
