A measles outbreak in South Carolina is accelerating, according to the Department of Public Health. The spread of the disease, which is preventable through vaccination, has led to at least 254 people being put in a three-week quarantine.

Cases of measles in the state have mainly been recorded at schools in Spartanburg County. The disease was considered officially eliminated in 2000, only to experience outbreaks in recent months.

What to know about South Carolina’s measles outbreak

So far, there have been 114 cases of measles recorded in South Carolina’s Upstate region, with children accounting for most cases, according to a Wednesday news briefing led by state epidemiologist Linda Bell.

Over 100 cases of measles were reported among unvaccinated people, while three other cases were in partially vaccinated people. Most infections are occurring in schools in Spartanburg County.

The state has also placed at least 254 people in a three-week quarantine, including 16 in isolation. Bell said the outbreak is “accelerating” due to holiday travel and the state’s low vaccination rate.

“Accelerating is an accurate term. That is a spike in cases we are concerned about,” she said, according to The Washington Post.

Officials point to vaccination as a solution against the outbreak

Doctors urgently recommend a vaccination rate of at least 95% to stop measles outbreaks, according to The Independent. However, critical vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella remain at only 90% in Spartanburg County for the 2024-25 school year and 90.5% in nearby Greenville County, leaving communities vulnerable.

“Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people’s education, to employment and other factors in people’s lives in our communities,” Bell said, according to The Independent.

Measles was officially declared eliminated in 2000, as the disease had not spread in the U.S. for over 12 months. Bell pointed to a lack of vaccination as the reason for recent outbreaks. As of Tuesday, at least 1,912 measles cases had been reported across 42 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“High vaccine coverage was responsible for eliminating ongoing transmission in this country,” she said, per The Washington Post. “What we’d like people to see is that picture: to consider the effectiveness of the vaccine and having this disease essentially go away.”

Vaccination rates for the MMR vaccine have dropped in recent years, driven by anti-vaccine sentiment during the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-vaccine positions taken by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In South Carolina, a sharp drop in school-required student vaccination rates was recorded—a 93.5% decline during the 2025 school year—posing a serious risk, according to the state’s Department of Public Health.

What is measles?

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases on the planet and can lead to death, according to the World Health Organization. Anyone without a vaccine may be infected after exposure, as measles can remain in the air for hours.

Symptoms include headaches, high fevers, coughing, runny nose, watery eyes, white spots inside of the mouth and skin rashes. It may take up to 21 days after exposure for symptoms to emerge.

About 11 to 12% of measles cases require hospitalization, while pneumonia is the most common cause of death after infection.

There is no direct treatment for measles; the MMR vaccine is the most effective way to prevent infection. It is administered in two doses — around a child’s first and fifth birthdays. The vaccines provide 97% protection against measles.

In 2025, 1,912 cases were reported in the U.S. amid 47 outbreaks. Alongside South Carolina, cases were recorded in Arizona and Utah. Three people have died of measles this year, and over 200 have required hospitalization.