South Carolina Measles Outbreak Ends After Sickening Nearly 1,000
The New York Times • • health
Key Points:
- A large measles outbreak in South Carolina, primarily affecting unvaccinated children, has been declared over after nearly 1,000 people were sickened and 21 hospitalized with complications like pneumonia and brain swelling.
- The outbreak, starting in October, was the largest in the U.S. since measles was declared eliminated in 2000, with most cases concentrated in Spartanburg County’s evangelical Slavic community where vaccination rates have declined.
- Childhood vaccination rates in the affected area dropped from 94% to 89%, below the 95% threshold needed to prevent measles spread, contributing to the outbreak’s severity.
- The outbreak was controlled through a coordinated vaccination campaign administering nearly 4,000 additional MMR doses, combined with the natural depletion of susceptible unvaccinated individuals in the community.
- State health officials confirmed no new cases in 42 days, meeting the standard criteria to declare the outbreak over.
