A nurse readies a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in May 2025 at Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls. (Photo by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight))
COLUMBIA — More than 220 people in South Carolina are in quarantine for measles heading into Christmas week, after the number of cases in a monthslong outbreak hit 144, the state health department said Friday.
All the exposures so far have come from Spartanburg County, primarily through schools and a church in Inman, according to the Department of Public Health. Over the past week, the department has reported 18 new cases.
More than three-quarters of those in quarantine are school children, according to the health department. All four schools involved are in Spartanburg County districts, where winter break begins Monday. Under state policies, if a student at a school tests positive for measles, all unvaccinated children must remain home for 21 days, which is the maximum amount of time it can take a person to become sick after exposure.
SC sees ‘alarming’ increase in measles cases, with 280 in quarantine
Around 10% of Spartanburg County students did not complete their vaccination forms this year, leading to one of the lowest vaccination rates among students in the state, according to health department data.
Public health officials expect the number of cases to rise in the coming weeks as people gather for the holidays, state epidemiologist Linda Bell told reporters. More cases are expected out of quarantine, as people in close contact with those who are contagious become ill, she said.
Of those infected, 94% were unvaccinated, Bell said. Vaccination is the only way to prevent measles cases, she added.
Vaccinated people traveling to the Upstate don’t need to worry about bringing the disease home, since this isn’t a carrier virus, Bell said.
Receiving one dose of the vaccine, typically administered in two doses during childhood, within three days of exposure to measles can prevent an infection. Vaccines are also available at doctors’ offices, public health clinics, and by request through state-run mobile vaccine units.
Symptoms of measles typically begin between one and three weeks after exposure, starting with a cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, and a fever. Following that, people who are infected develop a red, blotchy rash that typically begins on the face before spreading to the rest of the body.
Measles can cause severe illness, potentially leading to pneumonia or even death, especially in young children. The state health department has not received any reports of serious complications, Bell has said.
