Krause PJ, Cherry JD, Deseda-Tous J, Champion JG, Strassburg M, Sullivan C, Spencer MJ, Bryson YJ, Welliver RC, Boyer KM.
Epidemic measles in young adults. Clinical, epidemiologic, and serologic studies.
Ann Intern Med. 1979 Jun;90(6):873-6.
An outbreak of
measles at the University of California at Los Angeles provided the opportunity to study clinical, epidemiologic, and serologic characteristics of the disease in young adults in the present vaccine era. Of the 34 cases studied, 18 occurred in persons who thought they were immune. Fifteen of 19 seronegative students vaccinated during the epidemic responded with a secondary (IgG)
antibody response.
Antibody prevalence studies indicated that 91% of the student population had
measles antibody at the onset of the outbreak, and history relating to
measles correlated poorly with
antibody prevalence.
Of 212 adults vaccinated, 58% complained of one or more symptoms. Seventeen percent were confined to bed, and in three women vaccine-associated illness was notably severe. That measles will continue to be a problem in adults with our present national approach to immunization is predicted.
Wow ... that's a startling admission. Let's just read that again to make sure:
That measles will continue to be a problem in adults with our present national approach to immunization is predicted.
As we have mentioned many times previously, vaccination simply pushes the disease into an older age group. We have primary vaccine failures, where vaccination fails to raise sufficient antibodies. When this failed a second vaccination was recommended. Then we find there are also secondary vaccine failures too, where antibody levels apparently decline. However there are many studies establishing that "time since vaccination" is not a risk factor in secondary vaccine failure.
In the 60s, 70s and 80s, parents would hold "measles parties" deliberately wanting their children to catch measles. Measles is a mild and self-limiting disease in the overwhelming majority of children in the developed world, and allows the maturation of the immune system. In developing nations, the single most important factor in reducing disease is comprised of malnutrition, sanitation and standards of living.
Also of note is the adverse vaccine reactions in adults. Of more than three-quarters of those vaccinated, most complained of at least one symptom, seventeen percent were confined to bed and in three women the vaccine-related illness was very severe. And that's just with one vaccine.
