South Carolina has declared an end to the nation's worst measles outbreak in three decades, public health officials announced Monday. The outbreak, which ran from October 2025 to March 2026, sickened 997 people, with the vast majority being unvaccinated children aged 5 to 11.
Outbreak Details and Response
According to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, 932 of the 997 cases were unvaccinated individuals. The outbreak was declared over after 42 days without any new infections. Interim Director Dr. Edward Simmer praised the state's response as "textbook" and credited a diverse team of frontline workers for preventing more hospitalizations and deaths.
"While 997 is a large number, without the front-line help from a diverse and dedicated group of people from all backgrounds and walks of life, I believe many more cases – and potentially more hospitalizations or even deaths – would have occurred," Simmer said in a statement.
Vaccination Efforts
More than 81,000 vaccinations were administered during the outbreak, a 31.3% increase over the previous year. Health officials attribute the end of the outbreak to this surge in vaccinations. Dr. Brannon Traxler, deputy director and chief medical officer, noted that vaccination combined with solid public health work can be effective against even the most contagious viruses.
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is 97% effective and remains the best prevention method. Despite the outbreak's end, officials caution that measles remains a risk.
National Context
The outbreak mirrors a nationwide trend, with the majority of U.S. measles cases occurring in unvaccinated individuals. Vaccine hesitancy and misinformation have fueled these outbreaks, threatening the country's elimination status. Nationally, 917 of 1,792 cases reported this year were in children aged 5-19, and 385 were in children under 5.
Childhood vaccination rates have been declining, with personal and religious exemptions reaching an all-time high. Dr. William Moss of the International Vaccine Access Center emphasized the need to strengthen public trust in vaccines to reverse this trend.
