Georgia health officials are warning parents as measles cases in South Carolina have surged to 558, nearly doubling in the past week.
South Carolina reported 124 new measles cases since Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 558 in an outbreak that has been spreading since October. The outbreak remains centered around Spartanburg County, with 531 people currently in quarantine and 85 in isolation. Health officials expect quarantine periods to end on February 16.
Cases Spreading Across State Lines
Doctors across Georgia are expressing concern about the outbreak spreading beyond South Carolina's borders. "I think we will see more deaths among kids, which is just tragic," said Dr. Giridhar Mallya, a public health physician with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Georgia has already reported its first measles case of 2026, involving an unvaccinated infant in the Savannah area who was too young to receive the vaccine, according to Fox5 Atlanta.
The South Carolina outbreak has spread to other states, including North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington. Three children in Washington were diagnosed after direct contact with a family that visited from South Carolina during the holidays. Eight cases have been reported in North Carolina since December, with seven linked to the South Carolina outbreak.
Most cases in South Carolina involve unvaccinated children. Of the 558 patients, 483 were unvaccinated, six were partially vaccinated with one MMR dose, 13 were fully vaccinated, and 56 had unknown vaccination status. The majority of infections are in children aged five to 17, followed by those under five years old.
State epidemiologist Linda Bell expressed concern about declining vaccination rates in certain South Carolina schools, which have fallen to as low as 20 percent. Health officials stress that the MMR vaccine is highly effective, with two doses providing 96 percent protection against measles, Reuters reported.
Understanding Measles Transmission and Prevention
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, spreading through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus can remain in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area. Up to nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to the virus will become infected.
Symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure and include high fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. Serious complications can include pneumonia and encephalitis, which can cause hearing loss, brain damage, and death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends children receive their first MMR vaccine dose between 12 and 15 months of age, with a second dose between four and six years. Georgia health officials urge parents with questions about vaccines to consult their physicians rather than relying on social media.
People with measles symptoms should contact their healthcare provider immediately and should not visit medical facilities without calling ahead, as per the Georgia DPH.
