The South Carolina measles outbreak is growing at an astounding speed. Over the last seven to nine days, more than 200 new cases appeared, doubling within one week. On Friday, the state’s health department reported 124 measles cases diagnosed since Tuesday alone, bringing the state’s total since the outbreak began last fall to 558.
Eight people, including adults and children, required hospitalization for complications since the outbreak began. An estimated 200 people are now “actively infected,” according to estimates from Dr. Robin LaCroix, a pediatric infectious disease specialist. The South Carolina Health Department reported 531 people in a 21-day quarantine following measles exposure. Because measles is extremely contagious, each sick individual has potential to infect 12 other people, and people can spread the virus up to four days before symptoms appear.
The majority of patients in South Carolina are children and teenagers, most unvaccinated. Two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, usually given around age 1 and again around age 4, are 97% effective at preventing measles. However, vaccination rates in the outbreak zone fall below recommended levels. The K-12 MMR vaccination rate for Spartanburg County was 90% for the 2024-25 school year, below the 95% level doctors say is needed to prevent outbreaks. Greenville County’s MMR rate was 90.5%.
The outbreak is centered in a community largely populated by Ukrainian immigrants to Spartanburg County who came with vaccine distrust based on experiences under Soviet control. A pediatrician who provides care for families from Russia and Ukraine said she constantly has to explain vaccines’ safety. Few people in the outbreak zone took advantage of free state-provided shots: only 18 people—nine adults and nine children—showed up for vaccinations on Wednesday and Thursday. Three other states have been affected, including Ohio with at least three children diagnosed.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/south-carolina-measles-outbreak-doubles-within-week/6445140/