You really think that India, Africa, South America, and China have vaccination rates any where near "herd immunity" percentages? World population increases have happened in third world countries where they can't possibly afford vaccinations to cover enough of the population.
You know what saves millions of lives?? Nutrition. It turns out Measles is devastating to a starving population. So do you think that food distribution has improved over the same time period as the measles vaccine? I do. So when you see a starving kid do you think to yourself that poor kid needs a measles vaccine?? or do you think some food would be the correct medicine?
But that's if you want to argue this scientifically. Which is the red herring. This is all about freedom and the right to do what we want to our bodies. When you argue freedom from the dictates of government this is in the proper perspective.
Improved nutrition along with a clean water supply, and indoor plumbing contribute more to the overall well-being of people than vaccines can, but where’s the $$$$$$$ in any of that.
From the CDC, published on Vox Day’s blog:
1900-1909: 8377 deaths per year (average) associated with measles.
1920-1929: 6659 deaths per year (average) associated with measles.
1953-1962: 444 deaths per year (average) associated with measles.
1959-1962: 404 deaths per year (average) associated with measles.
The measles vaccine was introduced in 1963.
That means that 95.1 percent of the decline in measles mortality had NOTHING to do with vaccination. It could not have. The vaccine had not yet been introduced.
Yes, given that vaccination is a cheap one-time (or two or three times at most) treatment that stops epidemic disease in its tracks. It's a natural first step while the much slower processes of building infrastructure for clean water and agricultural production is brought online.