By Betheena Unite
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III has encouraged parents anew to get their children vaccinated as a new study bared that failure to complete vaccination may result to immune amnesia that leaves children vulnerable to other illnesses.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III
(ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Immune amnesia, according to the secretary, may cause the reduction of protective antibodies against other infection when infected with measles sans complete vaccination.
“It appears that if you do not get vaccinated and you get infected with measles, chances are your protective antibodies, which are already in your system, will be reduced significantly or substantially,” Duque said, noting that this is another reason to get vaccinated.
The secretary explained that when someone, who has antibodies against polio but do not have vaccine against measles, gets infected with measles, the measles infection will influence the reduction of the protective antibodies to other infection like polio, diphtheria, and pertussis.
“It is called measles (immune) amnesia because the virus of the measles affect the memory B cells. For example, I was infected with polio and I developed antibodies. Normally, my antibodies will allow me protection to a next round of polio, I can already overcome polio the second time around. But if I am infected with measles virus, my immunity will either disappear or will be reduced significantly. So I can now be vulnerable to polio infection,” the secretary noted.
With this, he said that “it makes more sense to really have your children vaccinated because of that certain problem.”
It appears, Duque added, that if this happens, the protective antibodies or the immunity against other bacteria and viruses will only be regained after two years.
Meantime, the health department will have to further look into this matter as the study about immune amnesia is new information.
“So, we will discuss this with our program about giving more emphasis on booster shots,” he said. “Bago lang information (The information is new) so, we will have to include that in the next round of planning.”
For now, he said parents must ensure that their kids receive complete vaccination as they look deeper into the study.