Don’t miss the full story, whose reporting from Devi Shastri at The Associated Press is the basis of this artificial intelligence-assisted article.
South Carolina’s measles outbreak has become the nation’s worst current outbreak with 789 confirmed cases as of Tuesday, surpassing Texas’ 2025 outbreak total and highlighting declining vaccination rates across the United States.
Some key facts:
• South Carolina has confirmed 789 measles cases since September, centered in northwestern Spartanburg County, with 89 new cases reported since Friday.
• The outbreak has surpassed Texas’ 2025 outbreak total of 762 cases, making it the worst current outbreak in the nation.
• The United States has confirmed 416 measles cases nationwide in 2026 as of Thursday, representing nearly 20% of the 2025 total.
• A large outbreak is also ongoing on the Utah-Arizona border, with Arizona documenting 222 cases in Mohave County and Utah confirming 216 cases.
• 2025 was the nation’s worst year for measles since 1991, with 2,255 confirmed cases, nearly 50 outbreaks, and three deaths among unvaccinated individuals.
• The MMR vaccine is 97% effective against measles after two doses and provides lifelong protection.
• Childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic, with more parents claiming religious or personal conscience waivers.
• Hundreds of children across dozens of schools have been quarantined due to measles exposures, and the outbreak has spread to North Carolina and Ohio.
READ MORE: South Carolina measles outbreak becomes worst in nation with 789 cases
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