Spartanburg’s Measles Surge: Why Low Vaccines Matter

A modern school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, houses about 600 students from a vibrant Slavic community. Only one‑fifth of its pupils have received the measles vaccine, a record low for public schools in the state. On October 8, officials announced that this school was one of just two in the county where measles cases had been found. By late February, the outbreak had exploded to 985 confirmed infections across Spartanburg County, almost all in children who were not vaccinated. Two of those kids suffered severe brain inflammation called measles encephalitis, highlighting the danger of skipping shots.The county sits on South Carolina’s border with North Carolina and has become the biggest measles crisis in the U. S. since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. The virus has spread beyond closed communities, popping up in everyday places such as grocery stores, electronics shops, fast‑food restaurants, malls, libraries, museums and the post office. State epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell called the situation “unprecedented” during a February press briefing, stressing that this level of spread is not normal.