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Measles resurgence hits US communities after decades of control
Pediatrician Stuart Simko had only read about measles in medical textbooks-until recently. Over the past two months, the South Carolina doctor has treated six children with the highly contagious virus, marking a sharp rise in cases not seen since the US declared measles eliminated in 2000.
Outbreak spreads across multiple states
South Carolina has reported 789 measles cases in recent months, the majority among unvaccinated children. The surge has pushed the US to the brink of losing its measles elimination status, following similar setbacks in the UK and Canada. Last year, two school-aged children died in a Texas outbreak, underscoring the disease's deadly potential.
Public health experts warn that declining vaccination rates could normalize preventable outbreaks. In Spartanburg County, a region of about 370,000 residents in northwestern South Carolina, the virus has taken hold in former mill towns, where some schools report vaccination rates as low as 20%.
Parents and officials grapple with vaccine hesitancy
Kate Martin, whose vaccinated children were exposed to measles at school, compared the outbreak to the early days of COVID-19. "Every day, it's at another school," she said. Dozens of unvaccinated students were quarantined for 21 days, disrupting families and classrooms.
State Senator Josh Kimbrell, a Republican critical of pandemic-era vaccine mandates, initially avoided public comment. That changed after a vaccinated elementary school teacher in her 50s contracted measles from a student and spent two weeks in intensive care. "I thought that was real close to being our first death," Kimbrell said. He later called for restrictions on unvaccinated individuals, drawing both praise and backlash.
"The numbers are high enough now that I'm going to have to attend a funeral for either a teacher or a kid, and it's preventable. I'm going to be really pissed off about that."
Josh Kimbrell, South Carolina State Senator
Misinformation fuels low vaccination rates
Local officials report the outbreak has disproportionately affected Russian and Ukrainian immigrant communities, where religious exemptions and vaccine skepticism are prevalent. Some parents, like Inna-a Ukrainian immigrant in Spartanburg-cite debunked claims about vaccines causing autism or containing fetal cells.
"We're more worried about what's in the vaccine," Inna said, despite her children having recovered from chickenpox. Measles carries far higher risks, including encephalitis and immune amnesia, a condition that weakens the body's ability to fight future infections.
Jennifer Grier, an immunology professor at the University of South Carolina, noted that parents often underestimate measles risks. "Unfortunately, now that situation of getting measles is not low risk anymore," she said.
Federal policies and mixed messaging
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, has faced criticism for his role in shaping US vaccine policy. While the CDC has reduced recommended childhood vaccines, the MMR shot remains unchanged. Kennedy's ambiguous stance on the MMR vaccine-at times endorsing it, at others questioning its safety-has influenced hesitancy in communities like Spartanburg.
"He's widely respected here," Martin said. "I do think that definitely has something to do with [vaccine hesitancy]."
Some of Kennedy's allies have downplayed the outbreak's severity. CDC Deputy Director Ralph Abraham dismissed concerns about losing the US measles elimination status, while Kirk Milhoan, Kennedy's pick to lead an independent vaccine panel, suggested measles immunizations should be optional to study its real-world effects.
Doctors urge action as outbreaks spread
In Utah and Arizona, another measles outbreak has sickened hundreds. Lorna White, a 23-year-old mother of four, chose not to vaccinate her children, citing concerns about side effects. After her family contracted measles over Christmas, she questioned its severity: "Either we all got lucky with mild cases or measles isn't as bad as they say."
Doctors like Simko emphasize the long-term risks, including immune amnesia. "Some will still choose not to vaccinate," he said. "It's not ideal, but I can't force someone to do things."
The South Carolina Department of Public Health has vaccinated 62 people at mobile clinics since October, but experts say federal policies have hindered broader efforts. Chris Lombardozzi, chief medical officer for Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, warned of a return to pre-vaccine era diseases like polio and mumps.
"It would just be sort of a failure of public health in our nation. Because we have the means to stop the infections, we know the risk of the infections, and it still was able to come back to our community."
Jennifer Grier, University of South Carolina
