A resurgent measles outbreak in South Carolina is challenging the United States’ elimination status for a disease once considered conquered. Pediatrician Stuart Simko, who had previously only encountered measles in historical case studies, has treated six gravely ill children within two months—all presenting with characteristic high fevers and the disease’s signature blotchy red rash.
The current outbreak has infected 789 people in South Carolina, predominantly unvaccinated children, marking the largest measles surge since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. This development places the US on the verge of following the United Kingdom and Canada in losing its elimination designation, with two school-aged children having already died in a separate Texas outbreak last year.
Northwestern South Carolina’s Spartanburg County, home to approximately 370,000 residents, has become the epicenter of the crisis. Despite a county-wide vaccination rate of about 90% for school-aged children, specific schools report rates as low as 20% due to religious exemptions. The situation has drawn comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic, with infected individuals appearing at multiple schools and requiring 21-day quarantines for exposed, unvaccinated students.
The medical community emphasizes that two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine provide 97% protection against the illness. Achieving herd immunity—which protects vulnerable populations and limits spread—requires approximately 95% vaccination coverage.
State Senator Josh Kimbrell, initially hesitant to engage with the outbreak, changed his stance after learning of a vaccinated elementary school teacher who contracted measles from a student and required intensive care for two weeks. His subsequent public health advocacy balancing personal choice with community protection drew both praise and vitriol from constituents.
The outbreak has disproportionately affected Russian and Ukrainian immigrant communities, with Slavic churches reporting multiple exposures. Misinformation regarding vaccine contents—including debunked claims about fetal cells and autism—has circulated within these communities, complicating public health efforts.
Despite mobile vaccination clinics administering 62 vaccines since October, health authorities face an uphill battle against vaccine skepticism amplified by federal policy changes. Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr.’s mixed messaging on vaccine safety and his reduction of recommended childhood vaccinations have created additional challenges, though not specifically regarding the MMR vaccine.
Medical experts warn that the potential loss of measles elimination status represents a catastrophic public health failure, with preventable diseases like polio, mumps, and rubella potentially following measles’ resurgence pattern through communities with low vaccination rates.