South Carolina measles outbreak ‘accelerating’ with hundreds of unvaccinated students now in second 21-day quarantine
Hundreds quarantine after measles outbreak accelerates after holiday travel
- South Carolina is experiencing an accelerating measles outbreak, with 111 cases reported in the northwest region, including Spartanburg and Greenville counties.
- The surge is primarily linked to low vaccination rates among students, with K-12 MMR rates of around 90% in affected areas, falling short of the 95% required to prevent outbreaks.
- Despite the deployment of mobile vaccination clinics by health officials, only a small number of doses were administered, indicating limited public uptake.
- The highly contagious nature of measles has led to 254 individuals being quarantined for 21 days, causing significant disruption to schools and daily life.
- Nationally, 2025 has seen 1,912 measles cases and 47 outbreaks across the US, nearly triple the previous year, with the virus causing 3 deaths and over 200 hospitalisations.