In article ,
Mike wrote:

The point was that measles incidence and mortality sharply decreased
^^^^^^^^^
well before the vaccinations. It stands.

Some numbers: 863 deaths in the USA in the 1958-1967 - that is, 10 years
before the vaccinations.
In 1968-1977 - 292 deaths
In 1979-1988 - 140
In 1989-1998 - 10

Note that you present no evidence of reduction of measles *incidence*,
only of measles *mortality*.

We can see for example that measles mortality in the USA in 1933 was
about 80 cases per 1 million population - that is, about 10,000 cases.
Per year, not per 10 years.

That translates to 92% reduction in 35 years from 1933 to 1968,
without vaccinations.

Almost all that reduction in *mortality* was due to the availability of
antibiotics after WWII, because the major cause of measles mortality
was bacterial pneumonia, which could not be effectively treated before
antibiotics. The next greatest cause of measles mortality, measles
encephalitis, was not affected. Only vaccination can prevent measles
encephalitis.

Before the vaccine, it was accepted that just about every child would
get measles. The *incidence* remained very high. I know -- I was
there.

Now vax flacks want us to believe that 66% or 87% decrease of deaths
in 10 years are solely the result of vaccinations.

A reduction from 863 to 10 is almost 99%. A reduction from 292 to 10
is almost 97%. A reduction from 140 to 10 is about 93%. The measles
vaccine wasn't available to all children in the US, especially at first,
so the plummetting numbers of deaths reflect increased numbers of
children protected by vaccination, and hence measles encephalitis, the
main cause of measles deaths when effective medical care for bacterial
pneumonia is available.

Sorry, it does not fly. Part of it - yes, but all of it - no.

It's characteristic of medical denialists to distort statistics. Death
is not the only bad outcome of measles. One complication, measles
encephalitis, is still impossible to treat effectively. It can not only
cause death, but commonly causes permanent brain damage and blindness.
Before the vaccine, measles was the most common cause of blindness in
children.

By reducing the incidence of measles, ideally to zero, as is common in
more advanced countries than the US, vaccines prevent not only measles
deaths, but brain damage and blindness. And secondary pneumonia after
measles. And a lot of suffering by children, and those who love and
care for them.

Btw, I note that you leave out the figures for 1978 and for 1999-2008
above. I wonder why that is? I also wonder why deaths for the years
between 1933 and 1958 are not broken down in a way to show the effect
of the advent of antibiotics. But as part of the denialist agenda,
you wouldn't want to credit antibiotics with any benefits, would you?