Officials in the United States have revealed that the measles outbreak in South Carolina has risen to 185 cases, an increase of nine since earlier this week.
According to an update on Friday, 172 of those infected had not received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is intended to prevent such infections.
Four cases involved individuals who were partially vaccinated, another four had an unclear vaccination status, and four others are still being looked into. Notably, just one of the cases was linked to someone who was fully vaccinated.
Measles, a highly contagious and often dangerous virus, was considered eliminated in the US over 25 years ago. However, maintaining that status has become increasingly challenging in the past year.
Typically, diseases are classified as eliminated when there is no local transmission in a specific area, even if there can still be cases imported from abroad.
The elimination status in the US is largely attributed to the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine.
The first measles vaccine received approval in 1963, and by 1971, the combination MMR vaccine was introduced to protect against all three diseases simultaneously. Generally, two doses are recommended for full vaccination.
Initially, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set a goal in 1978 to eradicate measles by 1982 but missed that target and only achieved elimination status in 2000.
Unfortunately, vaccine hesitancy has been cited as a reason for the virus’s resurgence now and in the past.
While the measles death rate is relatively low, the infection rate is alarmingly high. The CDC estimates that one infected person can transmit the virus to nine out of ten individuals around them.
The World Health Organization reports that for every 1,000 confirmed cases, there are approximately two to three fatalities.
Children are particularly at risk, with complications that can include severe fever, hearing or vision impairment, and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain.
Typically, it is recommended that children receive their first vaccine dose before turning 15 months old and a second by age six, with the vaccine generally considered safe.
However, skepticism surrounding vaccines has been growing in the US, with some critics tying it to policies from the administration of former President Donald Trump.
CDC statistics show that during the 2019-2020 school year, the MMR vaccination rate for kindergarteners was 95.2 percent. But by the 2023-2024 year, it fell to 92.7 percent, representing a decline of around 280,000 kindergarteners.
The year 2025 saw a notable increase in measles cases, with the CDC reporting 2,065 cases, the highest since 1991, and over seven times more than the 285 cases recorded in 2024.
A significant outbreak occurred in Texas, where three people died from the virus, marking the first measles-related deaths in the US since 2015.
Following that incident, Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, encouraged vaccinations, stating on social media that the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to prevent the spread of measles.
Yet, Kennedy, lacking medical expertise, has since made comments that seem to contradict support for the vaccine.
For example, in late April, he claimed on NewsNation that the MMR vaccine contains “a lot of aborted fetus debris and DNA particles.” Experts rejected this assertion as false, clarifying that while the rubella component was developed using a cell culture from a 1960s elective abortion, no fetal tissue has been included since, nor is it part of the vaccine itself.
Kennedy has also propagated unsubstantiated connections between vaccinations and autism, drawing widespread criticism from the medical community.
In South Carolina, the ongoing measles outbreak is concentrated in the northwest part of the state, primarily affecting children under 17, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.
Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and Democratic candidate for the upcoming state midterm elections in 2026, has made addressing the outbreak a key part of her campaign, aiming to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Lindsey Graham in November.
She humorously noted on social media, “If you told me back in medical school that someday I would be running for the Senate and my campaign slogan would be ‘It’s me or the measles’ I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT HAVE BELIEVED YOU.”
