Measles Vaccine: Its Effectiveness And Other Details

Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by virus infection. It mainly affects children and can now be prevented easily with a vaccine. However, recent research conducted by the University of Cambridge, UK, and Fudan University uncovers the efficacy of the measles vaccine in children born via C-section. 

It is a significant finding that one jab of the double-dose measles vaccine is 2.6 times more likely to be ineffective in children born by cesarean section compared to those born naturally. The universities explain that this could be due to the development of the infant’s gut microbiome, which causes the child’s immune system not to produce antibodies to fight against measles infection. 

Henrik Salje, from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Genetics and joint senior author of the study published in the journal Nature Microbiology, said, “We’ve discovered that the way we’re born, either by C-section or natural birth, has a long impact on our disease as we grow up.”

However,  it is found in the research that a second measles dose induced robust immunity in such kids, which means two doses of the measles vaccine for robust protection against the disease is important. 

The study is conducted over 1,500 children in Hunan, China. Blood samples were taken from 0 months to 12 years, which showed that 12% of C-Section had no immune system response to the first measles vaccination, compared to 5% born naturally.  

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How Does Vaccine Affect Children Born Via C-Section?

The study suggested that children born via C-Section are ineffective to vaccines, which may be because of the development of the infant’s gut microbiome. 

On the other hand, vaginal birth exposes a wider variety of microbes from the mother, which helps in enhancing the immune system. 

Therefore, understanding how vaccines affect children born via cesarean section is essential for optimising vaccination strategies and ensuring protection against infectious diseases.