South Carolina’s measles outbreak has grown into the largest in the United States in more than two decades.
State health officials are reporting 790 cases linked to the outbreak, which began in Spartanburg County in October. The total now surpasses a measles outbreak in Texas that ended last summer, previously the largest in the country in recent years.
Most cases are among children and teenagers under 18, and health officials say many of those infected were unvaccinated.
Health officials are urging parents to make sure their children receive the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. They emphasize the vaccine has been used safely for decades and is highly effective at preventing the disease.
Officials continue to monitor the outbreak and warn that additional cases are likely if vaccination rates do not increase.