Of course you're right that we do need to support SVG and vector formats, but it's also not entirely true that "vector >> raster" in all cases.
Raster does have limited resolution, but so does your screen or most output devices (yes, even scientific plotters).
It's also not necessarily true that it has a higher storage footprint; it depends on the complexity and number of glyphs, the fonts you need to embed for the LaTeX formulae, etc. etc. In large-data cases, raster can be a much more viable visualization transfer medium.
Raster does have limited resolution, but so does your screen or most output devices (yes, even scientific plotters).
It's also not necessarily true that it has a higher storage footprint; it depends on the complexity and number of glyphs, the fonts you need to embed for the LaTeX formulae, etc. etc. In large-data cases, raster can be a much more viable visualization transfer medium.