South Carolina Declares Record Measles Outbreak Over After 997 Cases
South Carolina health officials declared the state's measles outbreak over on Monday, April 27, 2026, after 42 days with no new cases and 997 infections.[1]
State data show the outbreak sickened 997 people since October 2025, included at least 21 hospitalizations, and cost about $2.1 million to manage. Officials said the wave was largely confined to one area of Spartanburg County and credited rapid investigations, quarantines, and public cooperation for containment. Providers administered nearly 82,000 measles vaccine doses statewide from October through March, more than a 30% rise over the prior year.
The episode traces back to October 2025, when clusters first emerged in Spartanburg County and spread through un- and under-vaccinated networks. Local health teams rapidly identified contacts, issued isolation recommendations, and pushed mass vaccination clinics, which drove sharp dose-volume increases in the hardest-hit communities.
Earlier coverage flagged both the local success and wider risk.[2] had warned that while South Carolina's outbreak was ending, other clusters were emerging nationwide, and federal trackers show the U.S. recorded 1,792 cases and 22 outbreaks so far in 2026.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, April 27, 2026, South Carolina health officials formally declared the state's measles outbreak over after reaching 42 days with no new outbreak-related cases.
- State data now show the outbreak sickened 997 people since October 2025, with at least 21 hospitalizations based on voluntary reports and an estimated $2.1 million cost to manage the response.
- Officials say the outbreak was largely confined to one area of Spartanburg County and attribute containment to rapid investigations, quarantines, and public cooperation with isolation recommendations.
- From October 2025 through March 2026, providers administered nearly 82,000 measles vaccine doses statewide — a more than 30% increase over the same period a year earlier — while Spartanburg County saw a 94% vaccination increase.
- The U.S. has recorded 1,792 measles cases and 22 outbreaks so far in 2026 (nearly 80% of 2025's total), including an ongoing Utah–Arizona cluster with 607 cases in Utah and 282 in Mohave County, Arizona since August 2025.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- On Monday, April 27, 2026, South Carolina health officials formally declared the state's measles outbreak over after reaching 42 days with no new outbreak-related cases.
- State data now show the outbreak sickened 997 people since October 2025, with at least 21 hospitalizations based on voluntary reports, and cost an estimated $2.1 million to manage.
- Officials say the outbreak was largely confined to one area of Spartanburg County and attribute containment to rapid investigations, quarantines, and public cooperation with isolation recommendations.
- From October 2025 through March 2026, providers administered nearly 82,000 measles vaccine doses statewide, a more than 30% increase over the same period a year earlier; Spartanburg County alone saw a 94% vaccination increase.
- The U.S. has recorded 1,792 measles cases and 22 outbreaks so far in 2026, nearly 80% of 2025's total, including an ongoing Utah–Arizona cluster with 607 cases in Utah and 282 in Mohave County, Arizona, since August 2025.