- 1960s, 3 to 4 million cases annually
- 500 reported deaths per year
- Medical expenditure
- Work time loss for parents taking care of kids with measles
- 1963, measles vaccine with booster doses to reimmunize timely
- Fewer than 3,000 cases per year and very few deaths
But during the period, 1989 to 1991 a huge resurgence took place (50,000 cases and 123 deaths)
- Disadvantages inner-city youth, low immunization
- Unimmunized children caused Negative Externality on other children for whom immunization wore off.
Federal government reacted:
- Encouraged parents to get kids vaccined
- Paid for the vaccines for low-incomed families
- Immunization rates rose to 90% (from 70% before the epidemic)
- Finally, only 300 confirmed cases by 1995.