Final answer:
Measles vaccination provides protection against a serious contagious disease, with scientific evidence debunking the myth that it causes autism. Herd immunity is achieved through high vaccination rates, which strict school policies and government subsidies can help maintain. Vaccination stimulates the immune system to prevent disease upon exposure to the virus.
Step-by-step explanation:
The benefits of measles vaccination include protection from a highly contagious and potentially serious disease. Vaccines like the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine have led to a dramatic decline in the incidence of these illnesses, making diseases like measles, polio, and mumps rare.
However, concerns over vaccine safety have led to misinformed arguments against vaccination, such as the claim that the measles vaccine causes autism, which has been scientifically refuted. It is critical to continue vaccinating to maintain herd immunity and prevent outbreaks.
Strict vaccination requirements in schools, as seen in West Virginia and Mississippi, have proven effective in preventing measles cases by maintaining high vaccination rates. Ensuring that these diseases remain rare requires that a high percentage of the population is immunized to ensure herd immunity.
Additionally, using government policies like subsidization can increase vaccination rates by making vaccines more accessible and affordable, thus producing a socially optimal quantity of vaccinations.
If a person is vaccinated against measles, they develop immunity that provides protection even if exposed to the virus. The immune system creates antibodies that recognize and fight the measles virus, preventing the disease from developing.