254 in Quarantine as South Carolina Measles Outbreak 'Accelerates'

South Carolina health officials say at least 254 people are in quarantine over a measles outbreak.

The outbreak, centered on a single church and several schools in Spartanburg County, has so far totaled 111 cases. Of those, 105 people were unvaccinated, while three were partially vaccinated, state epidemiologist Linda Bell said at a Wednesday news briefing.

"Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent the disruption that measles is causing to people's education, to employment, and other factors in people's lives in our communities," Bell said.

"If people are willing to be vaccinated, receiving an MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure has been shown to prevent measles infections or anyone vaccinated beyond that period could avoid future quarantine if exposed again and most importantly be protected from the disease."

She also said "accelerating is an accurate term," given 27 new cases since Friday.

"That is a spike in cases we are concerned about," she added.

The U.S. has seen in 2025 its highest number of reported measles cases since the disease was declared eradicated in 2000, with 1,281 cases reported.

There have been around 46 outbreaks across multiple states this year, up sharply from 16 outbreaks in 2024.

A notably large multi-state outbreak that began in early 2025 has been centered in West Texas and surrounding states and spread to other regions, especially where vaccination rates are low.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world, spreading through airborne droplets that can linger for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a room.

Symptoms begin with a high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, followed by small white spots in the mouth and a rash that spreads from head to toe. The illness can cause pneumonia, brain swelling and other serious complications. There’s no cure — but the MMR vaccine provides strong protection.

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