Measles Can Cause Blindness, Deafness, and Brain Damage—Here’s the Science

Measles Can Destroy More Than You Think—The Real Risks Every Parent Should Know

For many, measles conjures images of rashes, fevers, and a few days in bed. But this outdated perception hides a much darker truth. In his latest Thermometer episode, Dr. Jay Varma sounds the alarm: Measles doesn’t just make you sick—it can destroy a child’s brain, senses, and immune system. Sometimes years after infection.

“If parents don’t vaccinate their kids, they’re taking a massive gamble on the health of their children’s brains.” — Dr. Jay Varma

In 2025, measles is surging again in the United States—despite being declared eliminated decades ago. Why? Because vaccination rates are falling, misinformation is spreading, and public health systems are underfunded. Now children are paying the price.

Why Measles Is Back—and Spreading Fast

In just the first two months of 2025, the U.S. saw more measles cases than in all of 2023. The current outbreak began in a Texas community with longstanding vaccine resistance and has now spread to multiple states.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth:

• It can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves.
• You can catch it simply by walking through the same room.
• If unvaccinated, your chance of infection is over 90%.

“It spreads just by breathing.” — Dr. Varma

Even more alarming, some parents are now organizing “measles parties” to deliberately infect their children—believing that natural infection is safer than vaccination. That decision could lead to lifelong disability or death.

How Measles Attacks the Brain, Eyes, and Ears

Most people are unaware that measles is a neurological disease. It can cause brain damage at three different stages:

1. Immediately After Infection

Primary measles encephalitis

• The virus travels directly to the brain
• Fatal in 15% of cases
• Survivors often suffer permanent brain damage, seizures, or cognitive disabilities

Blindness

• Severe eye inflammation can cause scarring and permanent vision loss

Deafness

• Inner ear damage from measles-related infections can result in irreversible hearing loss

2. Weeks to Months Later

Post-infectious encephalitis

• The immune system attacks the brain after measles is gone
• Can cause epilepsy, paralysis, or death
• 1 in 5 children with this condition do not survive

3. Years Later

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE)

• A devastating brain disorder that develops 5–10 years after measles infection
• Starts with memory loss, then seizures, then a complete neurological decline
• Always fatal

“A child who gets measles at age two might die from it at age twelve.” — Dr. Varma

Immune Amnesia: The Hidden Legacy of Measles

Even if a child appears to recover, the virus may leave their immune system permanently weakened.

This phenomenon, called “immune amnesia,” wipes out the body’s memory of past infections and vaccines, leaving children vulnerable to:

• Pneumonia
• Whooping cough
• Brain infections like meningitis

It’s like pressing a reset button on their immune defenses.

One Family’s Tragedy: Roald Dahl’s Heartbreaking Story

Author Roald Dahl, best known for Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, lost his daughter Olivia to measles encephalitis in 1962.

At just 7 years old, she developed brain swelling, lost consciousness, and died within days. Dahl never recovered from the loss. When the measles vaccine became available two years later, he became one of its fiercest advocates.

“Parents who now refuse to have their children immunized are putting the lives of those children at risk.” — Roald Dahl, 1986

His words remain heartbreakingly relevant today.

The Solution Is Simple: Vaccinate

The measles vaccine is:

• 97% effective after two doses
• One of the safest vaccines ever developed
• Backed by decades of evidence

Vaccinating your child not only protects them—it protects everyone around them. And yet, vaccine misinformation continues to spread, putting entire communities at risk.

Final Word: Measles Is Not Harmless

Let’s be clear:

• Measles can blind your child
• It can make them deaf
• It can kill them years after they’ve recovered

And all of it is preventable.

“This outbreak didn’t have to happen. And we can stop the next one before it begins—if we act now.” — Dr. Jay Varma

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