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South Carolina Declares Measles Outbreak Over After 997 Cases

Officials credit quarantines alongside higher MMR vaccination for breaking transmission.

A worker with the South Carolina Department of Public Health talks to a patient outside a mobile clinic offering free measles vaccinations near the center of the outbreak in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Signs in English and Low German warn of a measles alert at the Taber Community Health Clinic in Taber, Alta., Taber, Monday, July 28, 2025.
The MMR vaccine is highly effective. One dose prevents disease about 93% of the time, and two doses raise that protection to 97%.
SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 6: A logo on a sign from the South Carolina Department of Public Health at a mobile clinic offering free measles vaccinations on February 6, 2026 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Overview

  • State health leaders ended the outbreak Monday after 42 days with no cases since March 15, the two-incubation standard used to confirm measles transmission has stopped.
  • The six-month cluster centered in Spartanburg County accounted for more than 90% of infections, with 932 cases in unvaccinated people and 639 among ages 5 to 17.
  • Vaccination picked up during the response, with more than 81,000 MMR doses given statewide, a roughly 31% rise from 2025 that helped close immunity gaps.
  • Containment measures carried real costs, including an estimated $2.1 million in state spending and quarantines for 874 students across 33 schools.
  • The end in South Carolina comes as the U.S. has reported 1,792 cases in 2026 and awaits a PAHO ruling on its elimination status in November, with the state recently quarantining 41 contacts after a travel-linked case.