Measles Spreading Fast in South Carolina: What's Going On?

South Carolina is in the middle of a measles outbreak. It started in October and is still growing. As of Tuesday, there are 111 cases. That's a lot! The state is now dealing with as many cases as Utah and Arizona, which also have big outbreaks. The outbreak is mostly in the northern part of South Carolina. Many cases are in Spartanburg and Greenville counties. These places have low vaccination rates. Only 90% of students in Spartanburg are vaccinated. In Greenville, it's a bit better at 92. 4%. But that's still not enough to stop the virus from spreading. The virus is spreading fast. It can infect up to 90% of unvaccinated people who come into contact with it. Right now, 254 people are in quarantine. They were exposed to the virus and aren't vaccinated. That includes 43 students at Inman Intermediate School. The outbreak started at a church called Way of Truth Church in Inman. Now, more people are getting exposed at schools. The quarantine period is 21 days. That's how long it can take for the measles rash to show up. Low vaccination rates are a big problem. In Spartanburg, 8. 2% of students have religious exemptions. That's the highest rate in the state. In Greenville, it's 5. 3%. These exemptions mean more people are at risk of getting sick. Most of the people who got measles weren't vaccinated. Out of 111 cases, 105 were unvaccinated. Only one person was fully vaccinated. The rest were partially vaccinated or had an unknown status. This isn't just a problem in South Carolina. All over the country, vaccination rates are going down. Misinformation is spreading, and measles cases are at a 33-year high. There have been nearly 2, 000 cases this year and 46 outbreaks.