Can SC daycares refuse children who haven’t gotten the measles vaccine? It depends

It’s been more than 20 years since the U.S. declared measles eliminated in 2000. Now, as of this week, South Carolina has 950 cases of measles, the largest outbreak since then.

Cases in SC keep increasing, months after the outbreak started in Oct. around Spartanburg County.

There were over 2,000 reported measles cases in the U.S. in 2025. And so far, more than 900 cases have been confirmed across the nation since the start of 2026. More than half of the new 2026 cases were from South Carolina.

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases known to man. According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, if one person has it, up to 90% of non-immune people close to the infected person will be infected. Infected people can spread measles to others from four days before through four days after the rash appears.

Children are the most vulnerable population to measles. More than 850 cases of measles in SC were from children aged between 0 and 17.

So, if your child is unvaccinated, can they go to a daycare or attend school? Here’s what you should know:

Immunization requirements for daycares

The South Carolina Department of Public Health has strict immunization requirements for childcare. Childcare includes nursery or preschool programs or any licensed childcare center. All children who are enrolled in childcare must have the following vaccinations:

• Hepatitis A
• Hepatitis B
• DTaP (whooping cough, tetanus)
• Polio
• Pneumococcal (pneumonia)
• Haemophilus influenzae Type b (Hib)
• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
• Varicella (chickenpox)

Infectious diseases such as measles, chicken pox and whooping cough can spread quickly among babies and children who haven’t had their shots, according to the SCDPH.

In the event of a disease outbreak, unvaccinated children may be excluded from the childcare setting to protect them and prevent further spread of the disease.

You can get your child vaccinated at county health departments. To schedule an appointment, call 855-472-3432.

SC exemptions

The SCDPH says that all public and private childcare facilities must maintain a South Carolina Certificate of Immunization for all enrolled children, 3 months of age and older. Students may be exempt from immunization requirements for the following reasons:

Medical exemption: If a child has a permanent or temporary medical excuse to exclude them from vaccination, they can get a medical exemption. The Medical Exemption section must be completed by a licensed Physician (MD or DO) or their authorized representative (Physician’s Assistant or Advanced Practice Registered Nurse). For temporary medical exemptions, an expiration date in the future should be documented when the next immunizations are due.

Religious exemption: A religious exemption may be granted to any student whose parent, guardian or person in place of a parent signs the appropriate section of the South Carolina Certificate of Religious Exemption stating that one or more immunizations conflict with their religious beliefs. The South Carolina Certificate of Religious Exemption can only be obtained from the Department of Health and Environmental Control. The parent or guardian must sign the exemption form in the presence of a notary. This exemption may require renewal.

Special exemption: A SC Certificate of Special Exemption may be issued by the school to a student who has been unable to secure immunizations or documentation of immunizations already received. This exemption is only valid for 30 calendar days for the current enrollment and may be issued only once.

This story was originally published February 16, 2026 at 6:00 AM.