What was the incidence of measles historically?

Answer 1

Historically, measles has been a common and highly contagious infectious disease. Before the widespread use of vaccines, nearly everyone in childhood would get infected with the measles virus. According to historical records, measles epidemics would occur in regular cycles, typically every 2-3 years. In the pre-vaccine era, an estimated 2-3 million deaths occurred worldwide each year due to measles.

In the United States, prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, approximately 3-4 million people would get infected annually, leading to about 400-500 deaths and thousands of cases of measles-related complications, such as pneumonia and encephalitis.

Since the introduction of the measles vaccine, there has been a substantial decline in measles cases globally. However, the incidence of measles can still vary from year to year, with occasional outbreaks occurring due to low vaccination rates or other factors.