Here are a few basic facts & statistics on the measles virus:
I. From 2000 to 2011, child deaths from measles world-wide fell 71 %, to 158,000 in 2011. (Whalen & McKay, 2013)
Measles Outbreaks
1. Around 75% of measles outbreaks from 2014-2019 (defined as 3 or more linked cases) occurred in tight knit communities with low vaccination rates.
2. Though overall rates of measles (MMR) vaccination in the U.S. are high (with 94.5% of kindergartners fully vaccinated for the 2017-2018 school year, which hovers right below the 95% required for herd immunity), areas with lower vaccination rates are prone to outbreaks. (Abbott, 4-9-2019)
See also …