LOS ANGELES — A new study suggests that the measles shot comes with a bonus: By preventing that disease, the vaccine may also help your body fight off other illnesses for years. It’s long been known that contracting measles weakens the immune system for weeks or months, putting people, especially children, at increased risk for potentially fatal infection by a host of germs. Now, scientists find that this vulnerable period goes on much longer than thought, up to three years. So the benefit of avoiding measles also extends longer than was appreciated. Researchers also found that measles-vaccination campaigns were followed by a drop in deaths for other infectious diseases.

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