What South Carolina did to reign in its measles outbreak
Summary
South Carolina officials have ended a measles outbreak after nearly 1,000 cases, mostly in unvaccinated children under 17. A strong push to vaccinate more people, along with isolation rules and public awareness, helped stop the spread of the disease.Key Facts
- The outbreak caused nearly 1,000 measles cases in South Carolina, mainly in unvaccinated children.
- No new cases were reported for 42 days, leading health officials to declare the outbreak over.
- The state health department focused on increasing vaccinations, isolation, and quarantine to control the spread.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends two doses of the MMR vaccine, which is 97% effective.
- Spartanburg County, where the outbreak was worst, had below the 95% vaccination rate needed for herd immunity.
- During the outbreak, thousands of additional MMR vaccine doses were given, with record vaccination months in January and February.
- Some parents who were hesitant about vaccines decided to vaccinate their children as the outbreak grew.
- Public health experts stressed that vaccinations were the key tool to stop the outbreak.
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