While the state's measles outbreak has shown signs of slowing throughout February and the beginning of March, public health officials remain concerned that another surge of cases could conjure up as spring break nears and people begin extended travel.
The nation's largest outbreak since measles was declared eradicated now sits at about 10 new cases per week in South Carolina— a dramatic decline from the nearly 200 cases a week that followed the Christmas holiday.
State Epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell attributed the lull in spread to increases in people seeking out the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR).
The South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) revealed February MMR vaccination numbers in a March 4 media briefing. The state's measles outbreak nears 1000 cases, and to encourage vaccination, DPH has taken to press conferences, social media and parking lots.
Of the 990 people infected with measles throughout the Upstate-centered outbreak so far, 923, or 93%, have been fully unvaccinated against the disease. Another 19 people were just partially vaccinated, 26 people were completely vaccinated, and DPH said the vaccination status of 22 people was still unknown.
Alongside sharing the vaccination status of those infected, DPH and Bell revealed just how many people received the MMR vaccination throughout February. The number was a stark increase from February 2025; statewide and in Spartanburg, more than double the number of people received the vaccination in February 2026 compared to the same time last year.
The public health agency's twice-a-week case updates include a line about the MMR vaccine in each release. On Tuesday, March 3, the agency said, "vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent measles and stop this outbreak," in its first update of the month.
At the same time the update was released, an agency's Mobile Health Unit sat outside Grace Community Church in Spartanburg. Not even 100 people have visited the mobile clinics throughout the entirety of the outbreak, but DPH is still encouraged by overall vaccination numbers when compared to last year.
The February numbers
In February, 17,376 people were vaccinated to protect against measles statewide, according to data DPH sent South Carolina Public Radio. The month saw a 70% increase in administered MMR vaccinations compared to February 2025 when 10,198 people sought out a dose. The number of children age 4 or younger who got a dose increased by 3,504.
In Spartanburg County alone, 1,564 people received a shot throughout February, which is a 133% increase compared to February last year when 672 people received a vaccination.
Bell said the numbers are encouraging.
"This increase in vaccination is one of the reasons why this outbreak is slowing," she said.
The epidemiologist, though, remained concerned with a potential spike in cases in the near future. Schools throughout the state begin spring break in March and April, and Bell said the expected travel could pose a risk to the disease's slowing spread.
"Given the surge in cases we saw following the Christmas holidays, we remain concerned that another surge could occur following spring break when many people can be traveling and participating in more social activities," she said.
DPH reported 138 measles cases through February. In January, the agency reported 671 cases.
Mobile Health Units
A no-charge, mobile vaccine unit has been made available about 20 times for those unvaccinated who want the MMR vaccine. The mobile clinic is typically parked outside of churches in Spartanburg, where the virus remains concentrated. But since October when the outbreak was officially declared, DPH has administered just 76 MMR doses in these units. Of those 76, 54 have been in adults and 22 in children.
On Tuesday, March 3, the unit was parked outside Grace Community Church in Spartanburg from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and employees administered a dose of the MMR vaccine to five people. The church's parking lot had signs and papers with warnings about the disease, but most did not have an opportunity to view them as the the clinic was held during work hours.
Across from the church spanned multiple eateries and a parking lot. Sandy Williams, a 47-year-old mother who was stopping in for lunch at one of the available restaurants, said she had no clue that such a unit existed. Although she is already vaccinated, she was not thrilled about the available hours the unit was available.
"Really, it leaves at 2 p.m.?" she said. "Everyone I know is still working at that time."
When asked how much unit operations cost the agency, DPH Public Information Officer Casey White said it was tough to pinpoint an exact number. No extra staff or vaccine doses were created specifically for the unit.
Other playmakers
As the unit was parked outside Grace Community Church, inside the church sat senior pastor Rev. Joseph Parks and state Rep. Rosalyn Henderson-Myers, who represents Spartanburg County.
The pair stood firm in their support and belief in the MMR vaccine's effectiveness. They understand, though, that vaccine hesitancy throughout the community is present.
About 9.6% of students in Spartanburg County have religious exemptions for required immunizations, according to state public health data. Herd immunity, or when enough people are immune to a disease that it no longer spreads easily, for measles is achieved when about 95% of the population is immune to the disease. About 89% of students in Spartanburg County have required immunizations, which is the lowest proportion of students in any of the state's counties.
Henderson-Myers said the stop outside the church was not just for convenience, as she and DPH attempted to reach the religious and faith-based community.
"That is a community that many of us are familiar with," she said. "They are well-organized, and I think that — I felt that — people would be more receptive to working with the faith-based community."
The representative called Parks herself to ask if the unit could station outside of the church. He agreed that the church could reach a far-spread audience.
"The church is the only place where there is such a multicultural, multifaceted, all different types of social statuses that gather once a week," he said.
The two believe in the effectiveness of the vaccine, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported as the key contributor to the country eliminating the disease. For those in the community who choose not to be vaccinated, Parks and Henderson-Myers held no judgement. They simply asked the groups to once again consider taking the dose.
When asked where the line teeters between negligence and personal belief, though, the two had different answers. Parks saw it as more of an issue of messaging.
"It can't be negligence if you're uninformed. It may be unintentional or involuntary negligence, and I think that's the challenge," Parks said.
For Henderson-Myers, her background as an attorney took over.
"The definition of negligence is there's a duty and there's a neglect of that duty. And so, in terms of the duty, it's the duty of everyone to make sure that we are healthy and that we don't do something that would make someone else sick and unhealthy," she said. "And so, our duty is to look at our fellow man, and to care about them, and to want to make sure that the health of their children, and families and neighbors is paramount. I do feel when you neglect to do that, then there is some negligence there."
A panel of South Carolina lawmakers voted 7-1 Wednesday to advance a bill that would prohibit vaccine mandates for children aged 2 or younger. The state does not currently mandate vaccines, and parents are not currently required to provide any sort of documentation for a religious exemption.
The panel also voted 6-2 to effectively end a proposed bill that would have required all children in public schools to be vaccinated against measles.
DPH's next measles case update will be released Friday.
