Health officials in South Carolina are working to slow the spread of measles as the state’s outbreak grows to 789 cases, most of them among unvaccinated people.
The outbreak is now the largest in the United States in more than two decades, surpassing a measles outbreak in West Texas that ended last summer.
South Carolina State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said during a briefing Wednesday that the virus has spread more rapidly in her state than officials expected.
“We did not anticipate that South Carolina case counts in a matter of only 16 weeks would surpass the total number of cases reached in Texas over the course of seven months,” Bell said.The South Carolina Department of Public Health continues to urge parents to vaccinate children who have not received the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
North Carolina has reported 14 measles cases so far, including three in Mecklenburg County.