South Carolina Ends Record Measles Outbreak As U.S. Cases Surge
South Carolina health officials declared the state's record measles outbreak over on April 27, 2026, even as the United States is seeing a broader surge in measles cases.
Officials said sustained vaccination campaigns, intensive contact tracing and community clinics stopped transmission and that surveillance will continue to guard against new cases.
The episode traces back to clusters of unvaccinated residents and early imported infections that quickly produced the largest measles outbreak in South Carolina history and prompted weeks of emergency response.
Public-health officials warned that success in one state does not end the problem, noting new clusters are appearing elsewhere and urging routine MMR vaccinations to blunt the national surge.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, April 27, 2026, South Carolina declared its measles outbreak over after 42 days with no new linked cases.
- The South Carolina outbreak infected 997 people from October 2025 through April 2026, with at least 21 hospitalizations and most cases in under‑vaccinated Spartanburg County.
- CDC data show more than 20 measles outbreaks in the U.S. so far in 2026, including 100-plus-case outbreaks in Texas, Florida and Utah.
- The U.S. kindergarten measles vaccination rate was 92.5% in the 2024-25 school year, below the 95% level generally needed to prevent outbreaks.
- The U.S. reported 2,288 measles cases in 2025 and has already recorded 1,792 cases in 2026, putting its measles elimination status at risk.
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