South Carolina Measles Outbreak Reaches 111 Cases

State health officials in South Carolina reported Wednesday that a measles outbreak in the northwestern part of the state has accelerated, with 111 cases confirmed in the Upstate region since early October. The surge, linked to low vaccination rates and recent holiday travel, has prompted the quarantine of 254 exposed individuals, including numerous schoolchildren, as authorities work to contain the highly contagious virus.

The outbreak, which began on October 2 in Spartanburg County, has seen 27 new cases emerge since December 5, according to Dr. Linda Bell, the state's epidemiologist with the Department of Public Health. "We are faced with ongoing transmission that we anticipate will go on for many more weeks," Bell said during a news briefing. Of the 111 cases, 105 involved unvaccinated individuals, three were partially vaccinated, two had unknown vaccination status, and one was fully vaccinated. Officials traced many infections to exposures at the Way of Truth Church in Inman and several schools, including Inman Intermediate School, where 43 students are now quarantining. Additional quarantines affect students at eight other intermediate and middle schools in the area, with...