Columbia, South Carolina – Health authorities in South Carolina are are urging residents in the Upstate and all around the state to check their immunization status because diseases that may be avoided are coming back. The appeal comes as Spartanburg County is dealing with an ongoing measles outbreak, which raises bigger concerns about the drop in vaccine rates.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health says that the Upstate has experienced a gradual rise in diseases that were once rare because so many people got vaccinated. The area had 23 outbreaks of diseases that could have been prevented by vaccines between 2020 and 2025.
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Measles, pertussis, and varicella are among of the diseases that spread. There were also a few cases of Haemophilus influenzae type b that were considered outbreaks since they were so rare.
As of late December, there had been two measles outbreaks during that time, with 156 cases, including the current issue in Spartanburg County. There were 470 cases of whooping cough and 12 outbreaks of chicken pox, which led to more than 500 documented infections. Officials claim that majority of the recent measles infections were in people who had not been vaccinated.
State epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell claims that the rise in these diseases has been strongly related to a drop in vaccination rates. When fewer individuals get vaccinated, herd immunity goes down, which makes infants, older adults, and people with weak immune systems more likely to get sick.
She said that this tendency can be stopped and that immunizations remain one of the best ways to keep communities safe.
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Measles is especially concerning because it spreads so easily. The virus can stay in the air for hours, and health experts say that to stop epidemics, around 95% of people need to be vaccinated. Even modest drops below that level can let the disease progress.
Officials from the DPH advise people to check their immunization records, talk to their doctors about which vaccines they should get, and get information from reliable medical sources.
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They also ask people to help keep their communities safe by getting their vaccinations on time. They point out that vaccinations protect not just the people who get them, but also the people who are most at risk surrounding them.
Visit the South Carolina Department of Public Health website for most recent details.
