South Carolina measles outbreak spreads across multiple states
South Carolina health officials recorded 124 new measles cases in a five-day stretch, the department announced Tuesday. The state declared an outbreak in October and has since documented 434 total cases.
Most cases have been confined to the northwestern part of the state, also known as the Upstate region.
More than 400 people are currently in quarantine, but infections have already spread across state lines. North Carolina has recorded five total measles cases since late December, including four connected with South Carolina’s outbreak. Last week, three people from South Carolina with measles infections visited Washington state, possibly exposing local residents to the virus, officials there reported.
Measles cases are on the rise nationally and worldwide, likely driven by a decline in vaccination rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded 2,144 measles cases across 45 states in 2025, the highest count since the early 1990s.
If outbreaks continue, the U.S. risks losing its measles-free designation. Canada lost its elimination status last November after recording more than 5,000 cases.
How severe is measles?
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In 2025, 11% of measles patients were hospitalized, and three people died from their infections, according to CDC data.
Measles is a viral disease that causes fever, cough and a characteristic rash. The virus spreads through airborne droplets and can linger in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours. Symptoms of measles can appear seven to 21 days after being exposed.
While measles is not seasonal like influenza, cases often increase during periods of high travel, including summer months and winter holidays.
For most people, measles causes mild illness, but infections can be severe. Measles is fatal in roughly one to three out of every 1,000 infected children, primarily due to respiratory or neurologic complications.
In 2025, 11% of measles patients were hospitalized, and three people died from their infections, according to CDC data.
Who is most at risk for measles infection?
Anyone who has not received the measles vaccine is at an increased risk of infection. Young children are most at risk for severe complications.
So far, about 24% of the more than 400 cases recorded in South Carolina have been in children younger than 5 while about 66% have been among children 5-17 years of age.
Almost 90% of patients were not vaccinated while three people were partially vaccinated, and six were fully vaccinated. Vaccine status was unknown for the 47 other cases.
In the U.S., vaccination coverage among kindergartners decreased from 95.2% during the 2019–2020 school year to 92.7% in the 2023–2024 school year. In South Carolina, those rates were a bit lower; 92.1% of kindergarten students had received two doses of the vaccine, down from 95% for the 2019-2020 school year. Nationwide and even state-level vaccine coverage rates can mask pockets of unvaccinated people.
A 95% coverage rate is a typical public health target, as scientists believe this threshold achieves herd immunity, when enough people are immune to a disease that it can no longer spread easily, protecting vaccinated and unvaccinated alike.
Public health officials have encouraged everyone to be vaccinated against measles.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
