Amid a global surge in measles cases, new research suggests that undernutrition may contribute to outbreaks in regions grappling with food insecurity.
A study involving over 600 fully vaccinated children in South Africa found that undernourished subjects had significantly lower levels of antibodies against the measles virus compared to others.
A research team from McGill University, the University of Pretoria, and the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health tracked children's growth over time, an indicator of undernutrition, and measured their antibody levels through blood tests.
Children who showed stunted growth by the age of three had, by the age of five, an average level of antibodies against the measles virus that was 24% lower than those with normal growth.
The study's findings, published in the journal Vaccine, seem to indicate that undernutrition reduces the duration of protection provided by the vaccine.
According to lead author Jonathan Chevrier, associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health at McGill University, and holder of a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Health Sciences, these results suggest that combating hunger in children would be a crucial element in preventing viral outbreaks.
A growing global threat Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that causes symptoms such as skin rash, fever, and cough, and can lead to serious complications, especially in young children. The disease poses a threat in some regions where it had previously been controlled, including Canada, which reported its highest number of cases in nearly a decade in 2024.
"The number of measles cases declined from 2000 to 2016, but the trend reversed in 2018, partly due to low vaccination rates and the effects of the pandemic. Measles is making a strong comeback in many parts of the world, even though it is a preventable disease through vaccination and adequate immunity," said study co-author Brian Ward, a professor in the Department of Medicine at McGill University.
"We need to vaccinate children against preventable infectious diseases and ensure they are protected," said lead author Brenda Eskenazi, a professor emeritus in public health at the University of California, Berkeley. "This is particularly important today, as many known diseases are expected to spread due to climate change."
About 22% of children under five - there are approximately 148 million worldwide, with a higher proportion in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa - showed stunted growth in 2022, added Jonathan Chevrier.
The team plans to continue tracking the growth of children who participated in the study to determine if the effects of early undernutrition persist.
This study was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Publication:
The study "Undernutrition and antibody response to measles, tetanus and Haemophilus Influenzae type b (Hib) vaccination in pre-school south African children: The VHEMBE birth cohort study," by Brenda Eskenazi, Brian Ward, Jonathan Chevrier, et al., was published in the journal Vaccine.