Measles cases in upstate South Carolina are accelerating after Thanksgiving, state officials warn there is no end in sight.
Current Outbreak Status
As of Wednesday, 111 measles cases had been reported in upstate South Carolina, an area that includes Greenville and Spartanburg. Dr. Linda Bell, state epidemiologist for the South Carolina Department of Public Health, said during a news briefing Wednesday, “We are faced with ongoing transmission that we anticipate will go on for many more weeks.” Twenty‑seven of those cases have been reported since Friday, a spike Bell described as “That is a significant increase in our cases in a short period of time.” The department has placed 254 people under a three‑week quarantine, and some students who remain unvaccinated are now in a second 21‑day quarantine since the beginning of the school year, Bell added. She noted that it is “not a ‘significant proportion'”.
Vaccination Coverage and Response
According to NBC News data, the K‑12 MMR vaccination rate for Spartanburg County was 90% for the 2024‑25 school year, below the 95% level doctors say is needed to protect against an outbreak. In neighboring Greenville County, the rate was 90.5%. The health department deployed mobile health clinics to provide MMR shots, but Bell said “I can tell you that a relatively small number of doses was administered at each of the mobile health unit clinics that we offered.” No other vaccination clinics are planned, according to the department’s website.
National Context
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a total of 1,912 measles cases so far in 2025. The majority of cases have occurred in unvaccinated children and teenagers. Outbreaks in the Western U.S. are ongoing: 176 in Arizona and 115 in Utah, according to state health officials. One Utah case occurred at a child care facility with a high school in Salt Lake County; the infected person was at the facility all day, every day last week (Dec. 1 through Dec. 5), the Utah Department of Health & Human Services said. Health officials in Montezuma County, Colorado, reported an unvaccinated child diagnosed with measles who had no known connection to other cases and hadn’t traveled outside the state. Investigators said the lack of a clear source suggests unidentified measles cases may be occurring in or traveling through the area.
Symptoms and Impact
- Headache, fever that may spike to over 104 °F
- Cough, runny nose
- Red, watery eyes
- Tiny white spots inside the mouth
- A rash that begins on the scalp and travels down to the neck, trunk, arms, and legs
Approximately 11% to 12% of measles cases require hospitalization. Three people, including two young girls, have died in the U.S. this year. MMR vaccines, given in two doses around a child’s first and fifth birthdays, provide 97% protection against the virus.
Key Takeaways
- 111 cases reported in upstate South Carolina, with 27 new cases since Friday
- MMR rates in Spartanburg and Greenville counties are 90% and 90.5%, below the 95% threshold
- CDC reports 1,912 U.S. cases in 2025, with outbreaks in Arizona and Utah
The outbreak’s rapid growth and low vaccination coverage underscore the urgent need for increased immunization efforts and public awareness.
