South Carolina measles outbreak surges past 300, spreads interstate
South Carolina confirmed 99 new measles cases, raising total to 310; quarantines and travel-linked infections have spread cases to other states amid low vaccination rates.
Overview
South Carolina reported 99 new measles cases this week, bringing the state's total to 310; most infections are centered in Spartanburg County.
About 200 people are in quarantine and nine in isolation; health officials warn actual exposures may be much higher due to identified public exposure sites.
Cases linked to travel from Spartanburg have appeared in North Carolina, Ohio and Washington state, with exposures reported at public venues during contagious periods.
The outbreak occurs amid a national resurgence: 2,144 U.S. cases last year, the highest since 1991, and multiple outbreaks across several states.
Health officials urge MMR vaccination; CDC recommends two doses for full protection, noting one dose is 93% effective and two doses 97% effective.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the outbreak as an urgent public-health crisis by foregrounding case counts, official warnings and national context. Editorial choices—urgent verbs (“exploded”), emphasis on low vaccination rates and CDC data, and prominent quotes from state health officials—prioritize containment and risk messaging while omitting skeptical or vaccine-opposed perspectives.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Spartanburg County is the center of the outbreak because the initial cluster began in local elementary schools with low measles vaccination rates, allowing rapid spread among unvaccinated children and their contacts.
Cases in states such as North Carolina and Ohio have been linked to families who traveled to the Spartanburg outbreak area and were contagious while visiting public venues, leading to exposures outside South Carolina.
Officials say the number in quarantine does not reflect all exposures because an increasing number of public exposure sites have been identified, meaning likely hundreds more people were exposed but are unaware they should be in quarantine if not immune.
The CDC states that one MMR dose is about 93% effective and two doses about 97% effective against measles, and South Carolina data show the vast majority of outbreak cases are in unvaccinated individuals.
The South Carolina outbreak is one of several large clusters contributing to a national resurgence, with the U.S. reporting 2,144 measles cases across 44 states last year, the highest total since 1991 and largely driven by low vaccination coverage and multiple outbreaks.
History
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