The measles outbreak in South Carolina is slowing

Widespread measles outbreak in South Carolina It is finally showing signs of slowing down as the state’s total number of cases approaches 1,000.

For several weeks now, the state has seen a downward trend in new infections, with approximately 10 cases being reported weekly. At its peak in mid-January, the state was reporting about 200 new cases a week.

The South Carolina outbreak is the largest measles outbreak in the United States in more than 30 years, according to data from the World Health Organization Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 1,281 cases of measles across the country this year, as of March 5. This is already more than half of the cases documented in 2025, which totaled 2,283.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, a status reached when there has been no sustained transmission within a country for more than a year. Even as cases in South Carolina decline, the United States is now at risk of losing its measles elimination status. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been 12 outbreaks of the disease in the United States this year, including cases in Arizona, Texas and Utah.

South Carolina state epidemiologist Linda Bell is encouraged by the decline in new cases in her state, although she notes that with schools still on spring break in March and April, there is the potential for more exposure to the virus as families travel and visit tourist attractions.

“We remain concerned and must be cognizant of the fact that we could see an increase in cases again from the low number we are seeing now,” she said at a press conference on March 4. “We are very hopeful that the downward trend will continue, but we have to be vigilant about the risk that we will see another rise.”

The outbreak began with a small number of cases in October and was concentrated in Spartanburg County. Low vaccination rates in schools helped spread the virus, as social events surrounding the winter holidays led to an increase in the number of cases in January. Churches were also a major source of exposure, according to Bell.

Measles symptoms, which include high temperature, cough, runny nose and watery eyes, usually do not appear until one or two weeks after exposure. The characteristic rash of measles takes several more days to develop, contributing to a delay in diagnosing the infection. Measles can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia and brain swelling, both of which have been documented in South Carolina. More than 93 percent of cases in South Carolina have occurred in people who have not been vaccinated. The vast majority of infections were among children under 18 years of age.

Bell said modeling done earlier in the outbreak showed that an outbreak in South Carolina could last six months or more. Now it may end sooner than expected.

The outbreak has led to increased vaccination with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in Spartanburg County and throughout the state. Compared to February 2025, there was a 133 percent increase in measles vaccination in Spartanburg County, representing nearly 900 additional doses administered, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health. An additional 7,000 doses of measles vaccination were administered statewide in February, an increase of 70 percent from the same time last year.