South Carolina Measles Outbreak Threatens U.S. Elimination Status
South Carolina has recorded 847 measles cases, contributing to 2,267 U.S. cases in 2025 and raising the prospect of losing elimination status.
Overview
The South Carolina Department of Health reported 847 confirmed measles cases centered in Spartanburg County in 2025, officials said, marking the largest U.S. outbreak since measles was declared eliminated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded 2,267 confirmed measles cases nationwide in 2025, according to CDC records, the highest annual total since 1991 and putting U.S. elimination status at risk.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. did not mention the South Carolina outbreak at a White House cabinet meeting, a silence local public health leaders said has complicated vaccination outreach, the Department of Health and Human Services told the BBC.
The CDC reported that 93% of 2025 measles cases were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown, records show.
Public health experts urged accelerating MMR vaccination to roughly 95% coverage to restore herd immunity and warned the United States risks formally losing measles elimination status if cases continue, experts said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the outbreak as a preventable public‑health crisis driven by misinformation and falling vaccination rates. Through a pandemic‑like headline and lede, prominent expert voices and selective quote placement elevate clinicians’ warnings while vaccine‑hesitant perspectives are presented briefly and countered, and policy actors (e.g., RFK Jr.) are linked to reduced trust.
FAQ
The South Carolina Department of Public Health reported 847 confirmed measles cases in the Upstate region outbreak, centered in Spartanburg County, as of late January 2026.
The CDC recorded 2,267 confirmed measles cases nationwide in 2025, the highest annual total since 1991.
93% of 2025 measles cases were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
Public health experts recommend accelerating MMR vaccination to roughly 95% coverage to restore herd immunity.
The United States risks formally losing its measles elimination status if cases continue, as the current outbreak threatens the status achieved in 2000.
