Measles cases are spiking again in the US, particularly in South Carolina, raising serious health concerns for the year ahead.
South Carolina: Measles cases are rising again in the United States. In 2025, the country saw 2,242 confirmed infections, the highest in over 30 years. A major outbreak in West Texas, which started in January of last year, contributed to these numbers. Now, South Carolina’s measles surge is on track to surpass the West Texas outbreak, suggesting the US is in for another bad year of measles cases.
“I’m concerned,” says Susan Kline, an infectious disease doctor at the University of Minnesota. “With the size of the outbreak in South Carolina, I worry about this year.”
Across the country, vaccination rates have been dropping over recent years. The Trump administration’s negative stance on vaccines could mean more measles outbreaks in the future.
The outbreak in South Carolina started last fall when health officials noted eight measles cases on October 2. An outbreak is three or more linked cases. By the end of the year, that number grew to 176. As of January 20, South Carolina confirmed 646 cases, especially in the northwestern part of the state.
The West Texas outbreak had 762 confirmed cases, resulting in 99 hospitalizations and two tragic deaths among unvaccinated school-age children. This outbreak ended in August, seven months after starting.
“We think things might get a lot worse,” said Johnathon Elkes, an emergency doctor in Greenville, South Carolina, speaking to reporters.
Measles spreads very easily. The virus can stay in the air for hours after someone coughs or sneezes. Early symptoms often include a high fever, cough, and runny nose, while the famous rash shows up days later. While many people recover, measles can be very serious for babies and young kids. It can hurt their lungs and weaken their immune systems, leading to pneumonia and other infections. Pneumonia is the leading cause of measles-related deaths in children.
Since the start of the South Carolina outbreak, 10 people have needed to go to the hospital, both adults and children. Cases have surfaced on college campuses, including Clemson University and Anderson University. The number of locations with public exposure continues to grow each week. In addition to the 646 confirmed cases, another 538 people might have been exposed and are being told to stay home and watch for symptoms.
New cases are being found daily, with double-digit numbers reported, said South Carolina’s state epidemiologist Linda Bell during a briefing on January 21.
“We may be dealing with this for weeks or even months longer if behaviors don’t change,” she warned.
There is no specific medicine to treat measles. The best way to avoid it is by getting vaccinated with the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Out of the 646 cases in South Carolina, 563 are unvaccinated, 12 had one dose of the vaccine, 13 were fully vaccinated, and 58 had unknown vaccination status. The vaccine may not protect people with weakened immune systems adequately.