By Blessing Nweke
Measles outbreaks that shattered records in 2025 show no signs of slowing, with public health officials warning that transmission is likely to continue into the new year as vaccination rates remain below protective levels in much of the country.
In South Carolina, 168 people — mostly schoolchildren — are currently in quarantine after exposure to the virus. The state has confirmed 138 measles cases since September, nearly all among unvaccinated individuals, with the outbreak concentrated in Spartanburg County. The county’s measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rate for the 2024–25 school year stands at 90%, well below the 95% threshold experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks.
“As we identify new cases, and if those cases have susceptible contacts, that’s a new 21- day quarantine period,” said Dr. Linda Bell, South Carolina’s state epidemiologist, noting that unvaccinated people exposed now could face quarantine through the holiday season.
Bell said vaccination rates in the state have been falling for several years, mirroring national trends. An NBC News investigation found that in states reporting data, 67% of counties and jurisdictions have MMR coverage below 95%.
While there is no evidence yet that the South Carolina outbreak has spread to neighboring states, major outbreaks continue elsewhere. In Utah, health officials report 125 cases, including 21 in the past three weeks, with recent exposures at schools and medical facilities. Arizona has logged 190 cases, nearly all in Mohave County along the Utah border. About 97% of cases in both states involve unvaccinated people.
Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 1,958 measles cases so far in 2025 — just 168 short of the 1992 record. Forty-nine outbreaks have been identified this year, with 222 people hospitalized and three deaths reported.
Public health experts warn that without higher vaccination uptake, measles — once eliminated in the U.S. — may continue its dangerous resurgence.
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