A HIGHLY infectious disease is sweeping through the country – with nearly a thousand infected and hundreds in quarantine.
A contentious vaccine debate is feared to be fueling a new outbreak, just one year after the surge left two children dead.
Measles has spread to at least 789 people in South Carolina, and an additional 557 people have been put in quarantine for 21 days.
South Carolina’s outbreak has surpassed the West Texas outbreak in 2025, which sickened 782 people and killed two young girls.
The majority of cases are in Spartanburg County, in the northeastern part of the state bordering North Carolina.
Ninety-three percent of cases are among people who are unvaccinated or are unsure of their vaccination status, the South Carolina Department of Health confirmed.
As of January 23, the CDC has reported 416 measles cases in 14 states: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
But the South Carolina Department of Health’s total alone soars above the CDC’s count and continues to rise, with 89 more cases confirmed since Friday.
The outbreak comes as the US faces the possibility of losing its measles elimination status as early as November.
The disease was considered eliminated in 2000, which means it isn’t constantly circulating.
If measles continues to transmit until August, the disease will have been constantly circulating for a year and will be considered endemic.
The new principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Ralph Abraham, said he was “not really” concerned about the possibility of the US losing its elimination status.
“We have these communities that choose to be unvaccinated. That’s their personal freedom,” Abraham said in a call with reporters on January 20, reported by NBC News.
“I think we have to respect those communities that choose to go somewhat of a different route.”
Health experts say the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective when both doses are given.
But vaccination rates have dropped in recent years, falling below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity.
Only 11 states met that threshold among kindergartners in the last school year.
Abraham said that the MMR vaccine is “effective,” but did not encourage vaccination in outbreak areas.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/health/15852227/us-measles-outbreak-sparks-vaccine-debate/