Date published
In tests on animals, five months after infection nearly two-thirds of their antibodies were still missing in action.
"This immune-suppressant effect lasts for years - and is still present up to five years later," said Prof Michael Baker from the University of Otago's Department of Public Health.
In contrast, the immune systems of vaccinated kids exposed to measles were unaffected.
"The risks of being unvaccinated are not only that of measles, which is a potentially fatal infection, but also other infections because of the effect it has on the immune system," said University of New South Wales biosecurity researcher Prof Raina MacIntyre. READ MORE