Why do some people think that there are benefits to having a natural measles infection?
The usual suspects…
What Are the Benefits of Having Measles?
So are there any benefits to having measles?
Yes, unlike when you get some other vaccine-preventable diseases, there is one benefit to having measles.
What is it?
The benefit is that you do get life-long natural immunity and will never get measles again.
But, and this is a very big but… you have to earn that immunity by:
- getting through a week or more of measles symptoms, which can include a high fever that is hard to control, irritability, photophobia, cough, malaise, and a rash
- hoping you don’t have any serious complications, some of which can be life-threatening, like pneumonia, seizures, and encephalitis
- worrying that you might later develop SSPE, which is always fatal
- avoiding starting an outbreak and getting other people sick, especially anyone with high risk conditions for whom which having measles might be even deadlier
Or you could avoid all of these things and get the same benefit of life-long immunity with two doses of the MMR vaccine.
So two shots with a low risk of mild side effects and extremely low risk of severe side effects or get measles, endure a week of bad symptoms, and develop immunity – if you survive.
What Are Not the Benefits of Having Measles?
But what about all of those other things that anti-vaccine influencers say are benefits of having measles?
None are true!
But didn’t Bobby Kennedy say that having measles boosts your immune system?
“And there’s a lot of studies out there that show that if you actually do get the wild infection, you’re protected later. It boosts your immune system later in life against cancers, atopic diseases, cardiac disease, etc.”
Bobby Kennedy
Studies actually don’t show this kind of benefit.
Instead, they actually show that measles can erase your immunity, causing immune amnesia!
“The risk associated with measles infection is much greater than the sum of its observable symptoms. The immune memories that you have acquired are priceless, built over many years and from countless exposures to a menagerie of germs. Measles virus is especially dangerous because it has the ability to destroy what’s been earned: immune memory from previous infections. Meanwhile, the process of fighting measles infection leaves patients especially vulnerable to secondary infection. The worldwide increase in measles prevalence is cause for concern because morbidity and mortality from the disease extends far beyond acute measles infection.”
Measles and Immune Amnesia
You never hear about immune amnesia from anti-vaccine influencers, do you?
“Based on our data, measles and atopy occur more frequently together than expected, which does not support the hypothesis that experiencing natural measles infection offers protection against atopic disease.”
Measles History and Atopic Diseases
Nor do they talk about all the studies that show no benefit or actually show harm, as they simply cherry-pick a few small, poorly done studies to try to make their case.
Anyway, rates of cardiovascular disease, stroke, heart attacks, and cancer are highest in older folks who were born in the pre-vaccine era. Why didn’t having measles save all of them from heart disease or cancer?
Of course, it is because measles doesn’t offer those benefits.
And if you are looking for immunity, looking at the risks vs the benefits, it is very clear that you should go with getting vaccinated instead of wanting to actually get sick.
More on Measles Myths
- Why Are You Still Worried About the MMR Vaccine?
- Are the Risks Greater Than the Benefits for Any Vaccines?
- The Benefits and Risks of Delaying Vaccines
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says measles infection may have benefits, but there’s no conclusive evidence
- Measles Is Harmful, Contrary to Flimsy Social Media Claims of Long-Term Benefits
- Measles and Immune Amnesia
- Measles history and atopic diseases: a population-based cross-sectional study
Last Updated on March 24, 2025
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