South Carolina reports measles outbreak as statewide vaccinations fall
Five cases of the measles have been identified in the Upstate over the course of just over a week, bringing the state’s total number of identified cases to eight, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
The source of multiple of those cases is unknown, creating concern that the virus will spread further.
State epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell also confirmed that the department is investigating known cases in a school. Bell said she could not specify the county or counties where the cases had been identified for confidentiality reasons, and added that the cases being in the Upstate do not eliminate risk to the rest of the state.
“This virus does not observe administrative borders,” Bell said.
“We just want people to recognize how highly transmissible this virus is,” she said during a press briefing Friday morning.
An infected person can spread the virus to up to 20 other unvaccinated people, and complications from measles can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling. Initial symptoms include fever, cough and red eyes. Then within four days of the initial symptoms, a red rash begins on the face and spreads over the body.
Bell called the measles virus one of the most contagious, with a high risk of spreading rapidly among the unvaccinated.
Bell said the health department does not know if any of the known measles cases have resulted in hospitalizations because the department does not follow the course of the illness after identifying a case. The department does investigate the source of the infections to determine the risk of community spread.
The outbreak is the Upstate is occurring as South Carolina’s overall measles vaccination rate has fallen to around 90%, which is below the required 95% threshold that experts say is required to limit community spread.
Bell said the vaccination rate has declined in recent years and at the same time there is an increase in the number of students receiving vaccination exemptions at schools.
South Carolina had a 95% measles vaccination rate among kindergarteners in the 2019-2020 school year. By the 2023-2024 school year, that rate fell to 92.1%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That data follows a national trend.
Nationwide, measles vaccination rates among kindergartners fell to 92.7% in the 2023-2024 school year, down from 95.2% during the 2019-2020 school year, according to the national data.
Bell also said that a new vaccination, even up to 72 hours after a person is exposed to the virus, can help prevent illness. The measles vaccine, called the MMR vaccine, protects against measles, mumps and rubella. The vaccine is typically first given to infants between 12 and 15 months old, with a second dose given during early childhood. But adults who were never vaccinated can still receive the vaccine, and are encouraged to do so.
The MMR vaccine is widely available at pharmacies, doctor’s offices and directly from the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
