Measles Outbreak Hits USA as South Carolina Cases Rise to 985

South Carolina, USA - Measles cases in South Carolina increased by six to 985 on Friday, February 27, according to the state's Department of Public Health, as the United States reported more than 1,100 confirmed infections nationwide in the first two months of 2026.

The South Carolina outbreak, centered in the Upstate region including Spartanburg County and ongoing since fall 2025, continues to drive a significant portion of the national total.

The state's latest update reflects six new cases since Tuesday, with more than 93% of infections occurring among unvaccinated individuals.

Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1,136 confirmed measles cases as of February 26, including 154 new cases in the most recent week.

The figure represents nearly half of the 2,281 cases recorded for all of 2025, which marked the highest annual total since 1992.

Katrine Wallace, an Epidemiologist and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, highlighted the rapid escalation.

“There are more than 900 confirmed measles cases in the United States, as of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent weekly count.

It’s less than two months into the year, ‘and we already have over a quarter of [the measles cases] we had all of 2025, so things are not great,’” Wallace said.

Measles remains one of the most contagious diseases known, spreading through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

It typically causes fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes and a distinctive rash of flat red spots.

Complications can include pneumonia, encephalitis and, in rare cases, death, with young children at highest risk.

Before the measles vaccine became widely available, the disease caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths annually worldwide.

In the United States, vaccination with two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine provides lifelong protection in most cases.

Health officials attribute the current surge largely to declining vaccination rates in certain communities, with 92% of 2026 U.S. cases occurring among unvaccinated or unknown-status individuals.

South Carolina's outbreak has been particularly persistent, though new cases have slowed in recent weeks compared to peaks earlier in the year.

No measles deaths have been reported in 2026 so far, though three occurred in 2025.

Public health experts warn that sustained low vaccination coverage risks further spread and potential loss of the United States' measles elimination status, achieved in 2000.