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

In South Carolina, measles is spreading quickly. This is mostly happening in one church and a few schools in Spartanburg county. Health officials say 111 people have gotten sick. Most of these people were not vaccinated. Some were only partially vaccinated. Over 250 people are now in quarantine. This means they might have been near someone with measles and could get sick too. The number of cases is growing fast. This worries health officials. They say not enough people in South Carolina are getting vaccinated. This makes it easier for measles to spread. In just a few days, 27 new cases were reported. Many of these cases are linked to one church and some schools. Measles is a serious disease. It can be very dangerous, especially for young children. In South Carolina, 20 of the cases are in kids under five. Another 75 cases are in kids between five and 17. This is a big problem because the U. S. thought measles was gone. In 2000, the U. S. said measles was eliminated. This means it was not spreading from person to person. But now, measles is back. The reason measles is spreading is complicated. Some people are not getting vaccinated because of mixed messages. For example, Robert F Kennedy Jr, the health secretary, has said some things that make people doubt vaccines. But he does support the MMR vaccine. This vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. He even asked the CDC to send more MMR vaccines to places that need them. But in South Carolina, not many people are using the mobile health clinics that offer MMR shots. This is a problem because the vaccine is the best way to stop measles from spreading. Health officials are worried that if more people don't get vaccinated, measles could keep spreading. They want people to understand how important the vaccine is.