Measles Outbreak in South Carolina Declared Over

A significant measles outbreak in South Carolina that affected nearly 1,000 individuals, mainly unvaccinated children, has officially ended as of Sunday.

This outbreak, which started in October, was the largest since measles was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, resulting in 21 hospitalizations. Some of those hospitalized faced severe complications like pneumonia and brain swelling.

Public health officials announced the end of the outbreak after no new cases were reported in the area for 42 days, the standard period used to determine when an outbreak can be declared over.

Most of the cases were concentrated in Spartanburg County, where a close-knit evangelical Slavic community was significantly affected. Vaccination rates for children had been declining in recent years, with only 89 percent of school-age kids up to date on required vaccinations, a drop from 94 percent the previous year. To effectively curb the spread of measles, around 95 percent of a community needs to be immunized.

The outbreak was managed, in part, due to a vaccination drive by local clinics, pharmacies, and doctors, who provided nearly 4,000 additional doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine compared to the previous year.

However, health officials pointed out that the virus spread so widely among unvaccinated individuals that there were simply no more vulnerable people left to infect.

Even those who managed to stay healthy faced considerable disruptions. Over 870 students had to quarantine, which kept them out of school for weeks, with some unvaccinated students having to quarantine twice after separate exposures.

Local health officials expressed relief about the outbreak’s conclusion but acknowledged that the community will likely face repercussions for years. Measles can cause “immune amnesia,” which might leave children more vulnerable to other infections for a significant time.

Additionally, in rare cases, measles can lead to subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a serious condition that can occur years after infection and is almost always fatal.

“Will we let out a big sigh of relief? Yes,” stated Dr. Brannon Traxler, chief medical officer for the state health department. “But we won’t just celebrate and forget about measles.”

There are still several measles outbreaks active across the United States, including in Florida and Utah. In fact, measles cases hit a 34-year high in 2025, and the U.S. might surpass that number this year.

The federal health department has faced criticism regarding its handling of these outbreaks under the leadership of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. During a recent hearing, Kennedy, who has often questioned vaccine safety, defended his approach and made one of his strongest endorsements of the M.M.R. vaccine: “We have advised every child to get the M.M.R. That’s what we do,” he asserted.

The risk of measles spreading internationally or within any low vaccination community, like Spartanburg County, remains a concern. Last week, health officials in South Carolina reported a new case in another area of the state unrelated to the recent outbreak, identifying 34 potential exposures.

“This case reflects the reality of the world we live in,” Dr. Traxler commented, emphasizing that measles outbreaks elsewhere represent an ongoing threat.