1963Reputable sourceWell documented
Measles and the Vaccine
On the timeline · around 1963 · The Modern Age
What happened
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known, and for most of history it was a near-universal disease of childhood that killed millions. Before a vaccine, major epidemics every few years caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths a year worldwide. A successful vaccine, licensed in 1963, and decades of immunization have since cut measles deaths dramatically.
Why it matters
The measles vaccine is one of the great life-savers of modern medicine — the WHO estimates vaccination prevented tens of millions of deaths in recent decades. Yet measles surges wherever vaccination coverage falls, a reminder that suppressed diseases can return.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Measles (Fact Sheet) · Reputable source