The South Carolina Measles Outbreak Is Slowing Down

A ample measles outbreak successful South Carolina is yet showing signs of slowing down arsenic the full fig of cases successful the authorities nears 1,000.

For respective weeks now, the authorities has experienced a downward inclination successful caller infections, with astir 10 cases being reported per week. At its highest successful mid-January, the authorities was reporting astir 200 caller cases a week.

The South Carolina outbreak is the largest measles outbreak successful the US successful much than 30 years, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has confirmed 1,281 measles cases crossed the state this year, arsenic of March 5. That is already much than fractional of the documented cases successful 2025, which totaled 2,283.

Measles was declared eliminated successful the US successful 2000, a presumption attained erstwhile determination has been nary ongoing transmission wrong the state for longer than a year. Even with cases successful South Carolina abating, the US is present astatine hazard of losing its measles elimination status. According to the CDC, determination person been 12 outbreaks successful the US this year, including ones successful Arizona, Texas, and Utah.

Linda Bell, South Carolina’s authorities epidemiologist, is encouraged by the alteration successful caller cases successful her state, though she notes that with schools going connected outpouring interruption successful March and April, determination is simply a imaginable for much exposures arsenic families question and sojourn tourer attractions.

“We stay acrophobic and indispensable beryllium mindful of the information that we tin spot cases summation again from the debased fig that we're seeing now,” she said successful a March 4 property briefing. “We are precise hopeful that the downward inclination continues, but we person to beryllium vigilant astir the hazard that we tin spot different surge.”

The outbreak began with conscionable a fistful of cases successful October and has centered successful Spartanburg County. Low vaccination rates successful schools helped dispersed the virus, with societal events astir the wintertime holidays fueling a surge of cases successful January. Churches person besides been a large root of exposure, according to Bell.

Measles symptoms, which see precocious fever, cough, runny nose, and watery eyes, typically don’t look until 1 to 2 weeks aft exposure. The diagnostic measles rash takes different respective days to develop, which contributes to a lag successful diagnosing the infection. Measles tin origin terrible complications, specified arsenic pneumonia and encephalon swelling, some of which person been documented successful South Carolina. More than 93 percent of the cases successful South Carolina person occurred successful radical who were unvaccinated. The immense bulk of infections person been successful children nether 18.

Bell said that modeling from earlier successful the outbreak showed that South Carolina’s outbreak could spell connected for six months oregon longer. Now, it whitethorn extremity sooner than predicted.

The outbreak has prompted an uptick successful vaccination with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine successful Spartanburg County and crossed the state. Compared to February 2025, determination was a 133 percent summation successful measles vaccination successful Spartanburg County, representing astir 900 further doses given, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health. An further 7,000 doses of measles vaccinations were administered statewide successful February, a 70 percent summation from the aforesaid clip past year.